Times Like These
by anthfan
Summary: A man from Felicity's past she never thought she'd see again suddenly appears in Starling City, bringing with him memories she'd rather keep forgotten, and a new threat.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's happened again. This began as the 'someone from Felicity's past' trope sort of mixed with the 'stalker' trope. And then it turned into a multi chapter fic. These things happen. To me. A lot apparently. **

**So, enjoy, and let me know what you think! **

The call came from the main security desk a little before noon. Felicity distractedly answered and approved the visitor as she finished up the last bit of work before their marathon of a lunch meeting was set to begin.

She had picked up a stack of files and was pushing into Oliver's office when the elevator doors opened, revealing the one person she never thought she'd see again. His floppy brown hair was the same, as well as his easy rambling gait. She would have recognized him anywhere.

He hadn't seen her yet and there were almost five full seconds where time seemed to slow. Her hands went slack as the folders spilled from her suddenly toneless fingers, leaving papers scattering gently on the floor at her feet.

Some distant part of her brain may have heard Oliver calling her name once, and then again before his chair was shoved back and he was stalking the long empty space of his office to reach her side. All she could hear was the rough rush of blood in her ears as he made his way towards the doors of the outer office.

Fear at seeing him again was quickly replaced by anger and Oliver's hand on her arm was the physical jolt she needed to move.

As soon as he pulled the door open she was advancing. "Leave. Now." she said harshly,

He cocked his head to the side, giving her that slightly manic grin that sent shivers down her spine. "Is that any way to treat family, 'Lissy? I haven't seen you in ages."

"Felicity. Is everything okay?" Oliver was already next to her, slightly positioned between her and the man he didn't know. He was playing off her tension, trusting her response as he squared his shoulders and waited for an explanation.

Digg appeared as if summoned and she didn't know if Oliver had called him or he had somehow just known to show up. Regardless, she was grateful.

She ignored Oliver's question because if she looked at him just then she didn't know how she'd keep hold of her wildly fluctuating emotions. Her heart was already threatening to beat out of her chest and she was having a hard time quelling the panic that rose within her.

"You're not supposed to be here." she ground out, eyes never leaving his. She'd learned her lesson a long time ago to never drop her guard around this man.

"I"m better." he said easily, spreading his arms wide and taking a step towards her. She backed up automatically and saw both Digg and Oliver move closer in.

Felicity shook her head as she clenched shaking hands at her side, "I don't care. The restraining order is still in effect so you need to leave."

It was like she'd said magic words. Without speaking Digg and Oliver both acted. Before she knew what was happening Oliver had turned her with an arm wrapped behind her back, directing her into his office while Digg was escorting the man she'd never wanted to see again out the door.

Her mind blanked for a second until a warm hand on her knee made her jump back into herself. She blinked startled eyes and looked to her left to find herself sitting on the couch, Oliver perched next to her practically vibrating with the need to know what was going on.

"Felicity…" he began but she held up one finger and asked him to wait. She'd only be able to say this once and she wanted to make sure Digg was back before she started.

He let out a long sigh and scrubbed his hands over his thighs before he stood and crossed to the nearby table where she always kept a pitcher of water. When he pushed a glass into her hand she realized she'd lost time again.

Her hands trembled so badly she only managed a few sips before he was taking it back and sitting it on the table in front of them. She looked at everything but his face, because she knew once she did she'd probably break down.

A thought struck her and she was on her feet, Oliver moving as well. "My phone. I need my phone." she said thickly and out the corner of her eye she saw him hesitate before he was striding from the room. She could see him through the glass as he searched her desk and was back as quickly as possible, pushing the device into her hands.

Her knees felt wobbly and his hand was on her shoulder easing her back to the seat as she stared at the black screen. She needed to make the call, but she was afraid of what she might learn.

Digg slipped back into the room, a long, intense, and silent conversation happening between him and Oliver before she took a deep breath and made herself turn on the phone and make the call.

It took three rings before the line was picked up and she didn't even bother with a greeting. "Why didn't you tell me he was out?" she demanded, control slipping as the adrenaline began to leave her body. She was on her feet and pacing behind the couch now, fingers rubbing over her forehead as she waited for a response.

"Felicity?" her mother asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I had a right to know he was out! Of everyone, I had a right to know! Why wouldn't you tell me?" she could almost taste the hysteria in her voice and had to swallow hard to tramp it down.

There was a long pause and then her mother's frightened, shaky reply, "He's out? I didn't know, sweetheart. I didn't…Are you okay?"

She cursed her own lack of foresight. She'd stupidly thought three thousand miles and her own family was enough of an early warning system.

Her eyes shut tight and she could almost feel the waves of energy flowing off of Oliver and Digg as they watched her. But she could only handle one thing at a time.

A bubble of nervous laughter made it's way up her throat and she had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep it at bay. When her mother started talking again she almost didn't hear her.

"You know we don't speak to your aunt and uncle any more...but I would have thought if...I would have thought they…" her's mother's tone was going to that place Felicity couldn't handle. The one she'd had to hear all those years ago during court arraignments and long nights at the police station and that one trip to the emergency room she tried to pretend never happened.

"Okay, Mom, okay." she said automatically, knowing if her mother fell apart she wouldn't be far behind.

"What happened, is he there? Did he hurt you again?"

"I'm okay, he didn't hurt me." as soon as she said the words she cringed. Oliver already looked like he was about to jump out of his skin as he waited for her to get off the phone, but she actually saw him flinch at what she'd said. "Look, I've got to go. I'll call you later." she said hastily and thumbed the call off before there could be a reply.

The silence in the office lasted all of a few seconds before Oliver had clearly been pushed as far as he was able and appeared at her side, hand cupping her elbow. "Felicity...what the hell is going on?" she could hear how hard he was trying to keep control for her and that more than anything helped settle her some.

She let him tow her to the couch and take the phone from her hand as he and Digg stood still as soldiers before her, arms crossed, stony expressions as they waited for her to start talking.

"Sit." she ordered, "I can't talk with you two looming over me like giant, brooding statues."

She wasn't sure she could talk at all. Part of her wanted to keep quiet, deal with it herself, and tell them she could handle it. The other part of her was scared and wanted to accept any help she could get.

They settled around her, stiff limbed and reluctant. Digg on the couch across from her, Oliver at her side, close enough to provide support, but not so close to crowd her. She gave them a grateful smile and fiddled with the hem of her skirt as she struggled to figure out where to even start.

"What's his name?" Digg asked gently and a rush of grateful air escaped her lungs.

Start with the basics. She could do that.

"Nate. Nathan Samuels." that name hadn't passed her lips in years and it left a bad taste in her mouth. She unconsciously grabbed the glass of water and took a long drink before Oliver asked the next question.

"Who is he?"

"My cousin."

Digg's eyes rose into his hairline, but Oliver didn't react at all.

"Tell us about the restraining order."

Apparently the easy questions were over.

Felicity licked her lips and felt her heart rate begin to rise again. She'd never told anyone this. No one outside her family who had lived through it when it happened had been privy to this part of her life.

Oliver's hand landing on top of hers made her gasp and she looked up to see intense eyes locked on hers, "Hey, you're safe here. No one is going to hurt you."

Instead of pulling away she wrapped her fingers around his and held on tight. "I know." she said with conviction.

"I don't really know where to start. Nate's two years older than me. My mom's brother's son. We lived near them so we saw them a lot growing up. He was a smart kid, normal, nothing...nothing out of the ordinary." she screwed her eyes tight and tilted her head to the side as she silently admonished herself for feeling the need to defend him just because he was family. "Anyways, he was home from break and he got into a bad car accident, his girlfriend...she died. The accident was Nate's fault but his parent's had a good lawyer and...he got off."

"Felicity, that's not a happy story, but it doesn't explain why this guy has you scared to death and why there's a court order saying he can't go near you." Digg spoke up when she paused for breath.

"Sorry," she said with a slightly sheepish smile, as she pushed her glasses up her nose and dropped her hand to cover Oliver's where it was still clasped in her lap, "I'm getting there, promise. The girlfriend is important."

Digg gave her an encouraging look and a nod before she continued.

"It was my first year at M.I.T, I had exams...I didn't go home for the funeral. I didn't see Nate again until the next summer, maybe six months after the accident. Looking back the signs were there he'd had some sort of...psychotic break or something but no one knew at the time." she shook her head sadly, "I had never met his girlfriend but apparently we looked similar. When he saw me again he became obsessed." Oliver's hand tightened over hers but neither of them spoke.

"It started at a backyard barbeque or maybe a birthday party...I can't remember. He wouldn't leave me alone, followed me everywhere, he...he kept touching my hair and talking about how it was the same color as his girlfriend's which I admit was a bit creepy at the time but again...no one knew!" she said the last bit forcefully, hating how guilty she still felt at not knowing what was going on before it got bad.

"Felicity, you didn't do anything wrong." Oliver said softly,

"I know that. It took me a few therapy sessions but I do know that. At least intellectually. I still wish I would have known what it was all about earlier. Maybe we could have gotten him better help."

She blew out a long breath and shifted her eyes between the two of them, these men who she knew would lay down their lives for her. These men who she trusted more than anyone in the world were there for her in any capacity she could need. She held on to that knowledge like a talisman. It was the only way she knew how to get through this.

"I've never had to tell anyone this before. At least not beyond the police, and a therapist. And I'd mostly put it behind me since it's been almost seven years…" she was starting to lose focus and she reined herself back in with some effort. "I had to deal with him off and on that entire summer. It got to the point where I avoided family functions if I knew he was going to be there. He started showing up at our house randomly with no notice, he called me his dead girlfriend's name a few times...finally my parents noticed. My mom tried to speak to her brother but...Nate was an only child he'd never done wrong in the eyes of my aunt and uncle and...they just said he was still grieving. I thought everything would be better when I went back to school, but it wasn't."

Oliver shifted next to her on the couch and she wondered if she was going to be able to tell him this next part. "He'd dropped out of school after the accident so he wasn't really missed anywhere. I hadn't been back on campus three weeks when I got home to my apartment late one night to find him sitting on my couch. At first...he held it together for awhile. He told me he needed a place to crash and he was fine when other people were around. He acted like the guy I used to know. And then...I'll never know what changed but...he was always around. Walking me to class, waiting outside the computer lab late at night, slipping up and calling me the wrong name again. I...tried to talk to my aunt and uncle but they didn't want to hear it. They told me…" she gave a bitter laugh and looked away for a moment at the memory, "They told me I must be doing something to make him act that way and I should stop."

Suddenly she wanted to get up and move, and pace, and not be stationary, but she felt the warmth of Oliver's hand seep into her skin and she used it as an anchor. "I told him to get out. Had to call the local police to get him to actually leave. He uh...he didn't like that. Two nights later he caught me in the stairwell leaving the lab...it was two a.m, I was the last one to leave…" she felt hot all of a sudden and like there wasn't enough air in the room. She tried to pull her hand away and jump up from the couch, but Oliver held her in place.

"What happened, Felicity?" there was an undercurrent of anger in his voice that she recognized from when he went out under the hood and it sent a tremble through her as she swallowed heavily and tried to find the words to tell them the rest of the story.

"He...he was completely gone, mentally. He thought I was Jenny, the girlfriend, back from the dead or something. He was insistent I come with him." she took a deep breath and fixed her eyes on the table as she struggled to speak, suppressing a shiver at certain memories that she wasn't sure she'd ever share with them. "I don't remember much because of the concussion." both Digg and Oliver started at this like she knew they would and she forced herself to continue. "I know I tried to get away but he grabbed me and I fell down the stairs. I broke my arm, and hit my head even though I didn't feel it at the time. I woke up in the back seat of his car, two hours from campus." tears were slipping down her cheeks, but she didn't notice until Digg held a handkerchief her way and she had to peel her hand off of Oliver's to take it from him.

"You got away?" it was Digg who asked, but Oliver who finally had had enough and jerked to his feet to pace just behind her.

She nodded tightly, and plowed ahead before she could consider how cold she felt at the loss of contact. "Yeah, he stopped for gas and didn't know I woke up. I got out and luckily there was an off duty detective two pumps over. I woke up again in the emergency room."

There was a loud noise from Oliver that made her jump. "This guy stalked you, assaulted you, and kidnapped you and he's not in prison?" his voice was nothing more than a growl and all she could do was stare at him with wide eyes.

"No…" she stuttered out, "The psych evaluation said he couldn't stand trial...and at the time it...I mean he was my cousin and…"

"You didn't want to put your family through that." Digg finished for her and she nodded gratefully, her throat clogged with unshed tears.

"It didn't matter though," she said when she could finally speak, "His parents stopped talking to us. He was admitted to a facility and I got the restraining order. They didn't think it was necessary. It's...it's why I started dying my hair," she admitted and heard Oliver suck in a breath as he stilled two feet behind her. "As soon as I was done with school I only looked at companies on the west coast. QC recruited me and...moving three thousand miles away never seemed like a bad idea."

A silence fell around them and the longer it went on the longer she could feel the tension rise and when she looked up she saw that Digg had his eyes on Oliver, over her head. She twisted on the spot and saw the way his jaw was clenched, eyes hard, and realized they were doing that thing again where they communicated in furrowed brows, and pinched expressions.

"I don't want him stepping foot inside this building." Oliver ground out, never looking at her once.

"Already taken care of. When I escorted him out I made sure security knew and if he did try and return to have them notify me immediately." Digg replied,

Oliver scraped a rough hand over his head and finally looked at her, "You're not going home tonight." he said, and his tone brook no argument.

"Oliver, that's not necessary." she retorted,

"Really? Because half an hour ago you thought he was on the other side of the country locked in an institution. But he's not. He's here. In Starling and he knows where you work. What makes you think he doesn't know where you live?" she knew he wasn't trying to scare her and that he was just worried about her, but his words were hard and a flutter of panic began to rise in her chest.

"I'll be fine." she stated,

"He got into your place before."

Now she was on her feet, facing him over the couch, "Yes, he managed to get into the tiny off campus apartment I shared with four other people. Three of whom were so scatter brained they could barely remember to shut the door behind them much less lock it. We're not talking about the criminal mastermind of Starling City here. I live in a secure building and I have an alarm system. I'll be fine." her argument probably would have held more weight if her eyes hadn't brimmed with tears and her chin hadn't wobbled as she spoke.

He was around the couch and at her side before she could blink, hands grasping her elbows to turn her to face him. "He's not going to hurt you again. I'm...we're not going to let that happen." the anger in his voice had vanished and was replaced with that soft, low quality she liked to think he only used when talking with her.

She gave him a weak smile and tried to ignore how his thumbs were moving in small circles on the inside of her elbow. Even through the fabric of her sleeve it made her skin prickle.

"Local PD need to be alerted that he's in town and already violated the terms of the restraining order." Digg interjected, "You should contact Lance directly."

With a start she realized the last thing they needed was the SCPD keeping tabs on her, it would make her night job difficult. But she also knew she couldn't ignore Nate showing up in her city either.

"If you need to take a few days…" Oliver began and then pressed his lips tight together as if he wished he could take back the words. "Although I really think you need one of us with you." he amended.

"I'm okay." she assured him, "Really. And I'd rather work. I can't just sit around my place waiting for something to happen."

He tensed at her suggestion that something could happen and a wave of gratitude washed over her.

A flash out the corner of her eye had her jumping with a gasp as her fingers clamped down tight on his forearms. The new group of investors were arriving for the lunch meeting.

"Oh god!" she exclaimed, grabbing Oliver's wrist and pushing back his sleeve so she could see his watch. "The meeting is starting in five minutes and I've put us behind, and…"

Digg exited the office to direct them to the conference room as Oliver took her hands in his and lowered his head until he could meet her eyes. "Hey, everything is going to be fine. You can skip the meeting."

"No," she shook her head, "I told you, I need something to do. Just...can I have a few minutes? I'll be right there, promise."

"Of course. Call Lance though. It might be good to have some official help on this." he suggested and she nodded.

She fought back a shiver as he stepped away, his hand lingering on her arm until he couldn't any longer. He looked torn and her stomach flipped at how much this seemed to be affecting him.

He gave her one last supportive smile as he left his office.

"Take the tablet on my desk!" she called out at the last minute, watching as he correctly grabbed the slim device and waved it at her through the glass before heading down the hallway.

She pressed her fingers up under her glasses on the bridge of her nose as she took a long centering breath. When she looked up Digg was still standing in the outer office, positioned to see the elevator, hallway, and her at all times.

Felicity took her phone from the table where Oliver had left it and made her way over to his desk, sitting in his chair and turning it to look out the windows as she dialed Lance's number.

Fifteen minutes later she felt exhausted. After going so long without thinking about Nate and what he had done to her, having to recount the story twice in an hour had left her feeling raw and on edge.

Digg was still in the same spot when she made her way out, "Everything okay?" he asked with a nod to the phone in her hand.

"Yeah, Lance is going to look into the files from back home and find out if he was released or if he got out some other way. He's not going to make it official yet. He doesn't want any unwanted attention drawn to me any more than we do. But he said he'd make sure to drive by my place a few times when he's on patrol." she said with a shrug,

"Good. And I'll be doing a sweep of your building tonight."

"Digg…" she started but he stopped her with a look,

"Don't argue. I know you've got an alarm system but it's the one that came with the apartment. You know it can be improved. How many units from your door to the nearest stairwell? Can you reach the roof from your fire escape? Is the doorman there around the clock? Are there security cameras in the parking garage?" every question he asked sent a shot of fear through her as she realized she couldn't answer them.

"I don't...I…"

"I know. That's not your job. It's mine. Which is why I'm following you home tonight."

She felt her eyes prick with tears at his concern. Not trusting herself to speak she laid a hand on his arm as she passed by, intending to take a few minutes in the restroom before she braved the rest of the meeting.

Digg followed her down the hall and when she turned, open mouthed to tell him he didn't have to she she just let out a sigh instead as she pushed through the door.

Her pale, washed out features surprised her a bit when she looked in the mirror. Eye liner had smudged some, but not as bad as she would have guessed and was easy enough to fix. What she couldn't seem to fix was that she just looked scared. She could school her expression, and put on a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes, and she knew Oliver of all people would be able to tell.

She had to do this though. Going to the meeting would be good for her. She'd be able to focus on something else instead of letting her mind wander to places it shouldn't.

Another deep breath and a quick tug of her clothes were needed before she walked out with a purpose. Digg fell into step behind her and soon enough she was snatching another tablet off her desk and making her way to the conference room.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to all for the amazing response to the first chapter of this story. We're upping the creep factor in this one. Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think. **

The one good thing about being an executive assistant was that she was virtually invisible. She slipped in a side door and slid into her seat next to Oliver without anyone looking her direction.

He did look her way though. She felt his eyes cut over her as she busied herself with her tablet and tried to half listen to the man that was talking, hoping she could figure out where in the meeting they were without too much trouble.

She did her best to pay attention. For a minute or so at a time she was able to focus on what was going on around her, and then her mind would wander. A sudden touch to her ankle made her jump like she'd been burned as her eyes flew to Oliver to see his hand still extended towards her. Her foot and leg had been twitching erratically as her nerves got the better of her.

Felicity cleared her throat and uncrossed her legs, planting both feet firmly on the floor hoping that would be enough.

For the next half an hour she was able to attend somewhat successfully. There was a small break and she busied herself off to the side fixing a cup of coffee while Oliver talked with one of the investors. She didn't hear another assistant approach her from behind, and when he reached across her back, he accidentally brushed her hair with his arm causing her to let out a small shriek. The coffee mug she'd just filled crashed to the counter sending hot liquid spilling over the side as she stood stock still, hands pressed to her chest as her heart threatened to explode.

The other assistant was already apologizing and grabbing towels to clean up the mess, thinking he'd made her drop the cup. Silently Oliver took her by the arm and led her away.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, looking around frantically to see if anyone was staring at her.

He moved closer, blocking her from view as he stared down at her. "Hey, it's okay. What happened?"

She ran a hand over her head and blew out a long exhale. "I don't know. Someone reached past me and I didn't see them. They touched my hair...I guess with...with Nate coming back it just freaked me out."

"Maybe you should take the rest of the day." his brows were drawn together in worry and as much as she wanted to protest and prove that she could handle staying she had to admit she was barely functioning.

"Okay," she said quietly.

Oliver looked surprised by her answer and moved even closer until she felt his shoes just touch hers. The hem of her skirt brushed his pant legs and she thought if she rocked forward just a few inches there would be no distance between them at all. As she stared at his chest she was overwhelmed by the urge to know what it would be like to be wrapped in his arms. To be able to bury her face in his shirt and know that for a few minutes she'd be safe.

When she felt her hand lifting she curled her fingers into her palm and shut her eyes tight for a moment. She had to get control of herself.

"Digg's going to follow you home." he said and she nodded,

"I know."

"Don't worry about coming in tonight, it's quiet."

The lair was a secure place for her. She briefly considered having Digg take her there but she knew she needed to try and keep her life as normal as possible. But being able to hide underground with Digg and Oliver at her side was appealing.

"We'll see about tonight." she compromised, not missing how that certain muscle in his jaw twitched.

"Felicity…" he warned and she shot him a look, feeling a bit more like herself as her pulse began to lower.

"Oliver, I can't completely upend my life. I need...I need things to stay normal until this is all figured out." the hand she'd stopped earlier was now laying on his lapel, and she snatched it back,

He held her gaze for a long while until he finally looked away sharply. "Just be careful. And...call me if you think anything seems wrong. Promise me."

His eyes drilled through her, the blue intense and hard. For a second she thought she'd caught a glimpse of something she'd never seen from him before, but then it was gone.

"Of course," she managed to whisper,

"Promise me." his voice was so low it was almost a growl and it stirred a reaction inside her she could barely speak around.

It took her three attempts until she said "I promise."

His eyes fell shut and he leaned in over her, so close she could feel his breath touch her face. "Thank you,"

The air seemed to still between them and then there was movement behind him and she realized with a jolt just how public they were then. She took a full step backwards, distance suddenly a necessity. Oliver didn't seem phased however. She watched as he turned and lifted his chin towards Digg who was just outside the main doors to the room.

They walked back to the table and Oliver picked up her tablet and phone and handed them to her. "Feel better, Ms. Smoak." he said, loud enough for anyone around them to hear and she gave him half a smile for his cover.

Digg already had the door open for her as she approached and she could feel Oliver's gaze on her until she turned the corner.

Being able to see Digg following her the entire drive back to her apartment was a relief. Her eyes kept darting to the rearview mirror, as if she needed the constant reassurance she wasn't alone. But every time she looked he was no more than a couple car lengths back.

When they pulled into her parking garage he took the spot next to her and already had the door ajar before she grabbed her bag. "Maybe I should have just driven. Did you even see that Prius you almost took out?"

She shot him a look of surprise and gulped. "Um, no."

"Didn't think so." the corner of his mouth lifted but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

His arm was outstretched behind her, jacket open, and for the first time she noticed he'd moved his holster to his hip instead of his back where he usually kept his sidearm. A shiver went through her as he guided her across the empty garage. She'd seen him in bodyguard mode before when escorting Oliver or Thea through throngs of press but she never thought he'd be doing the same for her.

When she pointed to a door sized hole off to the side his head swiveled her direction. "There's no direct access to the building from the parking garage?"

"No, you have to go out there and there's a short sidewalk to the front of the building."

They stepped out and he cut a sharp glance around, "A short walk that's lined with bushes where anyone could hide and not be seen. The doorman can't even see you from here." he said with a shake of his head

Her stomach churned as she looked back to the dark garage and the shrubbery that she'd always admired in the spring for the blooms it produced, now it looked ominous. "Well, it's pretty well lit at night and no one really uses this street except for people who live on it." she said hesitantly. She wasn't stupid. Oliver and Digg had both drilled it into her how important it was to pay attention to her surroundings. Not once had she ever felt unsafe walking to her building.

Digg stopped and waited until she was looking at him, "Felicity, I'm not trying to scare you or make you paranoid, but these are things someone trying to hurt you would use to their advantage."

She swallowed heavily and nodded, trying to commit what he said to memory. "Okay, I understand, I'll be more alert when I'm coming home late."

"Well, until this is resolved it won't be an issue." his voice was hard and they were moving again.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean either Oliver or I will make sure you get home safe."

She wanted to fight him on his declaration but decided it was probably best to listen to the man who was paid to keep people safe.

While Digg was practically grilling her kindly doorman she got her mail and took a closer look of her apartment lobby. It was amazing the things one never noticed until you bothered to really look. She was normally in and out so quick she barely cast a glance anywhere other than the elevators straight ahead. But the first floor hallway had emergency exits at each end and they couldn't be seen from the front desk.

Digg joined her at the elevators and gave her an approving look.

"I showed Samuels picture to the doorman and told him the police would be around more. The only security camera is on the front door and the individual alarms for the apartments are directly tied to the alarm company not the police department." he explained as they rode up four floors.

At her silence Digg sighed and pushed the stop button, "Do you know what that means? It means if the alarm is triggered it could be almost twenty minutes before any uniforms are sent over. Twenty minutes is a long time."

"I get it!" she exploded suddenly. The ball of acid that had been swirling in her stomach made her swallow hard as she pressed a fist to her forehead. "I understand, Digg. I'm not completely innocent. I've lived in this city for four years by myself and I've been with you and Oliver for awhile."

Digg was quiet while she tried to control her breathing, and when she finally lowered her hand and looked at him he wasn't upset. "I'm sorry. He's just got me rattled. I truly never thought I'd see him again. I had put it behind me."

"I know. And I know you're smart and capable. But you've never had to think like this before, and maybe...maybe that was an oversight on my part considering." he didn't finish the sentence but he didn't have to. She knew what he meant. Considering how close she worked with Oliver and his alter ego and how many times now she'd found herself in danger because of that it was probably long past time for her to make some changes.

"You're right, it's...good stuff for me to know and not just for now. You're just trying to make sure I don't get hurt. Thank you." she gave him the strongest smile she could. His reply was to unpause the elevator and turn back to face the doors, but she'd caught a small gleam in his eyes and leaned her head against one of his massive arms for a second to show her gratitude.

But when the doors opened he was all business again. One arm came out to keep her in the elevator until he'd checked the hallway both directions. When he deemed it safe he waved her forward. None of it was helping her calm down. If anything it was making things worse as she expected Nate to jump out at any second.

With his hand hovering over his gun he laid a broad palm across her back and ushered her quickly to her door. After her third shaking attempt to unlock her door he took pity on her and slid the key home.

The distinct smell of her apartment washed over her and she took a deep breath and immediately felt calmer. Digg followed her in and made her wait by the door while he checked the rest of the space. Whatever brief moment of normality she'd experienced was gone as she watched him clear her place, room by room, gun drawn.

Her phone chimed while she was waiting and she thumbed it on to find a text from Oliver. The corners of her mouth lifted as she could almost feel the worry pouring out from the message.

'Are you home? Everything ok?'

She wrote him back immediately to let him know she was fine, and asked how the rest of the meeting had gone. He ignored the question about the meeting and reminded her to call him if there were any problems. With a sigh she reminded him that she had promised and he was quiet after that.

"Everything looks fine." Digg said, coming out of her bedroom as he holstered his weapon. "But I want you to walk around and make sure nothing is out of place."

Letting out a shaky breath she put her bag down in it's normal spot and began to scan each room. Digg followed a few steps behind, but after walking through every room she couldn't see anything that looked wrong. She even opened cabinets and looked in drawers, but nothing was out of place.

Some of the tension eased out of her and she kicked her heels into her closet before she walked back into the living room. It was three in the afternoon and she felt exhausted.

"I can stay if you want." Digg said, and she knew he meant it. In fact he seriously looked like he was going to do it regardless of what she said.

"I'll be fine. Besides, Oliver is done with the investor meeting. Remind him his mother has wanted to do a family dinner for over a week. If I'm not going in tonight maybe today would be the day to do it." she suggested, mostly because she was tired of fielding the calls from Moira's secretary who seemed to think taking the non-direct route was the best way of dealing with Oliver.

She was trying to go for normal and routine as a way to distract her from the fact that she was at home in the middle of a work day because a mad man from her past had tracked her down.

Digg narrowed his eyes at her, seeing right through her facade. In a rush she held up her hand and stepped closer, "I'll turn the alarm on as soon as you leave. I won't answer the door. I'll keep the windows shut even though I'm four floors up. I'll even text one of you every hour if that makes you feel better."

He stared at her for a long moment before he let out a resigned sigh. "All of that. All of it, Felicity. And you text both of us." he said forcefully, waiting for the agreeing dip of her chin before he shook his head slowly and reached into his coat pocket to pull out the small back up weapon he usually kept at his ankle.

She was already shaking her head no when he pushed it into her hands. "Yes." he said, steely voiced. "You're a good enough shot. I trained you myself."

"Digg…" she breathed out as she stared at the gun through blurry eyes. "You know I hate this."

"You can hate it all you want as long as you use it if you have to."

With trembling hands she laid it on an end table and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Keep it near you."

She nodded stiffly, unable to take her eyes off the gun.

"You want one of us to come back just say the word." his tone was softer now and she swiped a rough hand under her glasses before she looked at him.

"I'll be okay."

"We'll get this figured out." he said, and clasped her arm warmly, "Text. In an hour. I'll be waiting."

"Thanks, and I'll text you both, don't worry."

"It's my job to worry." he said with a smile as he made his way to the door.

She heard him wait outside as she shut the door and threw both the locks before arming the security system. She eyed the panel after she'd turned it on and wondered whether she could make any improvements. It was something she should have done when she moved in, but she hadn't had the time.

But now wasn't the time either. She'd need to take it offline in order to fix it and that was something she couldn't do just then.

Still feeling jittery and out of sorts she looked around her place and felt like a stranger. She was never home anymore. It was more a storage facility and a place to catch a few hours of sleep most days. When she did have a rare night off it was spent doing laundry or attempting to have some semblance of a normal life.

It took a sharp, mental rap to get her to push herself off the door and move. Still feeling strange she changed in her closet, something she never did, as if there were eyes on her she could feel but not see. She emerged with her oldest college sweatshirt and leggings that frayed at the bottom.

Home in the afternoon with time to kill was such a foreign concept that she spent a good twenty minutes just wandering from one spot to another. She washed the few dishes she'd used that week, picked up some clothes from the floor, tried to watch t.v. and realized there was nothing she could focus on worth watching.

She spent the next forty minutes fiddling with her phone and watching the clock. When exactly an hour had passed since Digg's exit she sent a text to both him and Oliver and as she tapped send a wave of relief washed over her, like that simple act somehow kept her safe.

They both responded within seconds and she allowed herself to settle back against the cushions and relax just a bit. She hadn't realized how tired she was until she shut her eyes. Soon enough the absolute quiet lulled her into sleep.

She woke to her phone going off in her limp hand. Blinking open blurry eyes she looked down to see it was two minutes past when she should have texted again and Oliver had already written her. Before he could jump in a car and head her direction she answered him and apologized. He was in for the night due to the family dinner his mother had gotten him to agree to and Felicity let a small smirk cross her face. He'd probably love an excuse to leave early which is why he'd texted her so quickly.

It was dark out and she shivered as she made her way to the windows and double checked they were locked and the blinds drawn. The one to the fire escape had a habit of not wanting to shut all the way and she eyed it with apprehension until she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a long wooden spoon to wedge in the top as an extra deterrent.

Her food choices were limited, but she didn't want to risk ordering in or going out. The gun caught her eye again as she passed by and a chill went down her spine as she picked it up and took it into the kitchen with her as she made a simple dinner she knew she wouldn't taste.

She ate standing up at the counter when a thought struck her and her face flamed at her own stupidity. Food forgotten she raced to her bag and grabbed her tablet. Within minutes she was attempting to hack the medical records of the facility Nate had been kept at. To her frustration she discovered quickly they had yet to put their files on line and there was nothing to access. She'd need the computers at the lair to get into the files at the police department in her hometown and even then she didn't know if she'd find anything worthwhile. Lance was more likely to get more information word of mouth, cop to cop.

For the better part of an hour she tracked down anything she could get on the old case, which wasn't much. She only barely remembered to send a message to Oliver and Digg. The case hadn't really caught the attention of the local papers and had been kept as quiet as possible thanks to her aunt and uncle. There were a few old articles but nothing after he'd been admitted to the facility.

She let out a growl of annoyance and scrubbed a rough hand over her hair, her normally sleek ponytail disheveled and half undone. A shower and an early night was something she was willing to let herself indulge in if she wasn't going into the lair. One more text was sent before she made her way into the bathroom.

Water going, she considered her reflection in the mirror for what seemed like an eternity. The room slowly filled with steam and she distractedly reached for the switch to the fan as she opened the mirrored cabinet to pull out the case to her glasses.

When she looked back the world stopped. All the blood rushed to her head as she stumbled backwards until she hit the wall.

Sitting on the second shelf was a box of hair dye. It was darker than her current color, and as she stared at it her mouth dropped open in horror. It was her natural hair color. And taped to the box was a note. All it said was 'Fix it'


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: WOW! Really. I'm blown away by the response to this story. Massive thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/followed. I'm so glad you're loving it. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think!**

_Previously in 'Times Like These'_

_A shower and an early night was something she was willing to let herself indulge in if she wasn't going into the lair. One more text was sent before she made her way into the bathroom._

_Water going, she considered her reflection in the mirror for what seemed like an eternity. The room slowly filled with steam and she distractedly reached for the switch to the fan as she opened the mirrored cabinet to pull out the case to her glasses._

_When she looked back the world stopped. All the blood rushed to her head as she stumbled backwards until she hit the wall._

_Sitting on the second shelf was a box of hair dye. It was darker than her current color, and as she stared at it her mouth dropped open in horror. It was her natural hair color. And taped to the box was a note. All it said was 'Fix it'_

Fear filled her, and it was the echoing of her scream and the rough scrape of it escaping her throat that brought her back to the present. On rubbery legs and lungs that couldn't seem to take a normal breath she tripped out into the hallway, using the walls for support until she reached the kitchen.

In seconds she had slid on the beat up pair of Chucks she kept by the front door and had grabbed her phone and the gun Digg had left for her. The door may or may not have shut behind her as she raced towards the elevator, heart pounding so hard in her ears the fact that she could hear her erratic breathing let her know how loud she was being.

At the last second she rethought the elevator, her head whipped to the emergency stairs and she was two floors down, gripping the handrail in desperation as her eyes blurred with tears before she remembered a fall night at M.I.T when Nate had attacked her in a stairwell.

When she burst into the lobby it was empty and dread settled low in her chest as she approached the desk, knowing she was going to find the doorman dead on the floor.

But there was no one there. Her head swiveled back and forth as she took in the space around her, fear making her want to run even more.

The main doors opened and the doorman was looking at her with concern. "Ms. Smoak? Is everything okay?" he asked as he approached and then stopped, face paling when he spotted the gun in her hand. "The police were just here, about that boy who's looking for you."

"The police?" she asked desperately, "Are they still here?"

She didn't wait for a response. Her wrists protested the force with which she pushed out of the building but she didn't notice. All she could see was a cruiser pulled to the curb and a familiar form about to get into the driver's seat.

Her voice was gone, covered with tears and it took her two attempts before Detective Lance heard her. His head shot up and turned her direction, eyes going wide when he took in her appearance.

She knew he was talking as he hurried to her side but she couldn't hear him. It wasn't until she felt him slipping the gun from her hand that she jolted back to herself with a great gasp.

"Ms. Smoak, what happened?" he demanded,

"He was...he was here." she stuttered out,

"You saw him? He's here now? Are you hurt?" he asked quickly and all she could do was shake her head, as her chin wobbled at the effort she was exerting to not completely break down.

"Not now. He left something in my bathroom. I just found it." she managed to say, wrapping her arms around her middle.

Lance never left her side as he radioed for backup. "I'm going to send some officers up to check things out, okay?" he asked and she nodded her consent.

When the second cruiser pulled up he told them quickly what was happening but waited with her while they went up. The shaking that had began as a fine tremor was now making her teeth rattle and she felt like she was walking through a fog as Lance guided her to the front seat of his car and had her sit.

A hand on her knee made her startle and caused fresh tears to splash down her cheeks. Lance was crouched in front of the open door looking at her with concern. "You can't stay here tonight. The boys will check things out and lock up. Where do you want to go?"

"Oliver's" she blurted out immediately, and not even the wide eyes of the detective could make her feel self conscious about that. She needed Oliver. She needed to feel safe.

"Okay," he replied, although she could tell he didn't approve.

The car door shut next to her and she heard him talking to the other officers before he climbed in and began to drive.

"Does our...friend know about this?" he asked gruffly, "I'm surprised he wasn't camped out on your fire escape."

"He knows." she said softly, and didn't elaborate. Lance let out an exasperated huff and focused on the road.

A sharp pain in her hand finally made her look down and for the first time she realized she'd had a death grip on her phone. It took her two tries to make her muscles unclench as she stared down at it.

The shaking was growing worse and she couldn't get her fingers to do what they were supposed to do. Frustration, and anger, and fear all combined within her until she felt like she might explode.

Lance reached over and took it from her, "Trying to call Queen?" he asked and all she could do was nod.

He sighed again and made the call for her. Her hands laced together in her lap as she tried to keep herself from flying apart.

"Queen," Lance barked out when Oliver picked up and even though she couldn't hear his actual words she could hear the explosion of sound as Oliver realized it wasn't her on the line.

"She's okay. Scared and shaken up but physically fine." There was a pause where she could hear the low sounds of Oliver's voice.

"He got in at some point and left something for her to find. That's all I know right now." Lance continued, "No. Just settle down. We'll be there in ten minutes. For some reason she told me to bring her to your place."

Before Oliver could reply Lance had hung up and the phone was entering her field of vision. She took it back and clung to it again like a lifeline. "I don't know what you see in that kid." he said with a shake of his head and she turned to look out the window, knowing she couldn't have said anything he'd believe anyways.

The closer they got to the mansion the more anxious she became. The shivering grew worse, until the sound of her teeth clanking together made Lance turn the heat on. "It's the adrenaline wearing off." he told her, "And maybe a bit of shock. You're going to be exhausted and feel like hell later."

She didn't respond. She just wanted Oliver. Knowing she'd see him in only a few minutes was the only thing keeping her from completely losing hold of the tenuous grip she had on her emotions. As it was tears slipped steadily down her face and she no longer tried to wipe them away.

The main gate was already open and Lance barely slowed as he drove through, making his way down the long winding drive. A desperate noise left her throat when she finally spotted the house and saw Oliver pacing the wide front step. He spun on his heel and hurried down the stairs as the cruiser came to a stop.

She was pushing the door open at the same time Oliver was pulling it and then she was being hauled into his arms.

All the panic she'd been bottling up since Nate had walked out of the elevator earlier that day spilled over and she found herself clutching his shirt as she sobbed into his chest. One of his hands buried itself in her hair as the other wrapped around her back, rubbing soothing circles as she broke down.

She didn't care that she did all of this in front of Lance. Didn't care that this was not how the public saw their relationship and this was not how an executive assistant and her boss should behave. Didn't care that she was also crossing some sort of boundary that she and Oliver had erected ages ago. All that she cared about was with Oliver's fingers lightly stroking through her hair, and the steady thrum of his heart beneath her ear she finally felt secure.

He was talking to Lance. There was a rumble in his chest as he spoke, and a slight rise and fall but she didn't actually hear what they were saying. When there was a screech of tires and the slam of a car door she turned her head slightly and looked through wet lashes to see Digg running up to join them.

There was more talking she didn't really pay attention to until the voices got louder. With effort she lifted her cheek from where it was pressed under Oliver's chin to see Lance glaring at Oliver.

"I'm handling her protection now." Oliver practically growled, and she didn't have to look up to know how serious his expression was.

"Well see that you do." Lance bit back and then turned and shoved the gun he'd taken from her at Digg.

"Here, she had this on her when she ran out, I'm guessing it's yours."

Felicity took a deep breath before she pushed back slightly and wiped her face. Her head was swimming, and she felt weak and shaky but she was determined to face Lance and Digg.

Lance gave her a sympathetic smile, "He's violated the terms of the restraining order more than once. When he's caught, he'll be arrested. I'm still waiting to hear back from the guy who has his case right now and when I do you'll be the first to know."

There was a long stretch of silence where Lance and Oliver locked eyes. "Take care of her, Queen." Lance said roughly before he headed back to his car and pulled away.

Digg and Oliver were doing their silent thing again and she suddenly felt aware of how close she was to Oliver. She shifted her feet slightly to the right until one of his arms was forced to fall away. Unable to feel her legs she didn't know how she was remaining upright and as soon as she wasn't pressed against him the tremors started again.

She swallowed heavily and tried to look Digg in the eye, "I'm sorry...I just ran and…" she knew she'd done everything wrong and hadn't followed any of his directions.

"Hey, you're safe, that's all that matters. We'll go over what happened later, but not right now."

She nodded warily and didn't even realized she'd swayed until Oliver's arm locked around her waist.

"Okay, come on, you can tell me what happened inside. Digg's going to go talk to the guards about beefing up security tonight." he explained before she had a chance to ask.

With no protest she let him tug her back to his side, her heavy eyes falling shut much longer than a blink as she rested against him. He pried the phone from her grip and pocketed it before covering her hand with his own. "You're freezing," he declared, turning them back towards the door as Digg hurried to his car.

Oliver had managed to get the door open before her knees buckled and white spots danced in front of her eyes. She heard him call her name as he pulled her upright, one hand coming to rest against her cheek. She opened her eyes at his command and saw how worried he was.

"Are you hurt?" he asked and she summoned reserves she didn't know she had to push strength into her limbs.

"No...just tired, and…" she didn't know why she felt so slow and sluggish.

"It's normal." he assured her, as he ushered her inside into the warmth of the foyer. "Let's get you upstairs so we can talk." his voice sounded strained and she looked over his shoulder to see they had an audience. Moira, Thea, and even Roy were watching in rapt attention.

"Oh god," she moaned and turned her head into his arm wondering how things could possibly continue to get worse.

"Ollie...what's going on?" Thea asked,

"Nothing you need to worry about." he told his sister, already moving them to the closest staircase.

"Ollie!" she cried out, clearly not satisfied with that answer, but Roy caught her arm as she went to follow them.

Oliver ignored her as they began to climb the massive set of stairs. Halfway up she stumbled again and he let out a muffled curse before he slipped an arm under her legs and swept her up.

Thea's gasp echoed in the large space and all Felicity could do was rest her head against his shoulder and shut her eyes. She'd be mortified later. Right then the exhaustion and fear had left her wrung out and unable to care about things like what Oliver's family might think about the sight of him carrying her up the stairs.

The next thing she knew he was lowering her to a couch and she sat upright with a start, hands going down to grasp his forearms as she looked around the strange room.

"Hey, it's okay, you're safe." he assured her and she felt her heartbeat settle some as she focused on his worried face kneeling before her.

She sank into the plush cushions and let out a shaky breath. Oliver squeezed her hands and then moved to sit next to her.

Her eyes kept trying to shut and it took effort to get them to even open up halfway. "Felicity, I need you to tell me what happened and then you can rest."

Tears clouded her vision as the memory of seeing that box assaulted her and she screwed her eyes tight and jerked her head to the side like she could throw the thought away.

"What did he leave?" Oliver asked gently and she knew he wouldn't give up.

"A box...a box of hair dye." she said brokenly and watched a look of horror mixed with rage cross over his face. "There was a note…"

Oliver's fingers tightened over hers and before he could speak she pushed ahead. "The color...it was my natural color and...the note said 'Fix it'"

She didn't realize she was crying again until she was pressed into his chest as he murmured soft words of comfort in her ear.

"He was in my home." she said thickly, "He got inside….how? How did he do that?"

Oliver held her tighter, "I don't know. But it's not going to happen again."

As she lay against him she knew she should pull back. She knew she should get herself together and thank him and tell him she was fine because the last thing he needed was to worry about her. But she was finally warm, and her fingers couldn't seem to stop drawing little circles on his shirt no matter how many times she tried to quit, and when he whispered into her hair it wasn't hard to believe in the things she never let herself dare believe in.

She was half asleep when he sat her back. "Hey, wake up for a few more minutes, okay?" he said quietly, a hand brushing loose hair out of her face. She couldn't help turning into his touch and she thought he may have stilled but she wasn't sure.

He waited until she forced open her eyes and gave her a smile when she did. "The bathroom is right there." he said, pointing to the door on the far side of the room. "I need to go talk to Digg and I'm sure my mother has a few questions as well."

Not even the thought of him talking about her to his mother drew a reaction from her and he let out a long breath, thumb stroking over her cheek before he rose from the couch. "I'll be back soon."

She waited until he left the room and eyed the distance between the bed and the bathroom. The bed was closer and won out.

With stilted, slow steps she made her way to the mammoth California King and didn't think twice as she pulled down some of the finest bedding and linens she'd ever seen. The lights were still on and she wanted it to stay that way. Her bones felt laden down and all she could think about was sleep. As she slid between the sheets she sighed gratefully and laid her head on the pillow, only vaguely aware that everything smelled like Oliver.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow! I am truly blown away by the response to this story. I'm so glad everyone is enjoying it and loving where it's going. I really wanted to focus on something Felicity centric that had nothing to do with the Arrow business. Thanks so much for the brilliant reviews and follows and everything. **

**Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

She fell asleep immediately, but it was far from restful. When she woke the first time the room was dark and it took her too long to remember where she was. She jerked upright with a gasping breath as it all rushed back to her, cheeks now flaming as she recalled Oliver holding her and carrying her up the stairs while his mother and sister looked on.

On shaky legs she made her way to the bathroom feeling like every muscle in her body had been put through one of Digg's brutal training sessions. Her head pounded and she didn't spare herself a glance in the mirror as she splashed cold water on her face.

A look at a clock let her know it was only a little after ten, which on a normal night would mean she'd be at the lair, but right then all she wanted to do was curl back into the most comfortable bed she'd ever slept in.

She left the bathroom light on as she made her way back across the huge room, following the yellow trail of light like a path. Her glasses were laying on the bedside table, and as she drifted back off to sleep she wondered how they got there.

Bad dreams woke her hours later and she blinked open wet eyes to see Oliver sitting next to the bed, holding her hand.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe." they were the same words he'd said to her earlier and she let them wash over her as she shoved damp hair out of her face and struggled to sit up.

"Oliver…" she wasn't expecting to see him, and the remnants of her dream still had her on edge. She rested her elbows on bent legs and let her head drop as she tried to control her breathing. Oliver's hand on her shoulder sent a skittering surge of electricity down her spine and she knew he felt how she'd reacted to his touch.

The tight rein she usually kept on how he affected her was gone just then and she didn't think she could gather it back in time. He was blessedly quiet while she took an extra minute she didn't really need and attempted to tramp down the dangerous thoughts she was having. Especially when she remembered how solid and strong and warm he'd felt beneath her as he held her earlier. Now that she'd experienced that once she wanted it again.

Thinking she was safe she lifted her head and gave him a weak smile in the faint light. The bathroom door was still open, the yellow glow still spilling out like she'd left it. "Why are you in here? I wasn't being loud or...anything, was I?" she couldn't let herself consider he was watching over her.

The corner of his mouth twitched and he paused before he answered, "I'm in here because Goldilocks is sleeping in my bed and the guest rooms are in the other wing. I didn't want to be too far away in case you needed me."

Felicity felt her stomach drop as his words registered with her. She was in Oliver's room. In Oliver's bed.

Her eyes cast wildly about the dimly lit room, taking in the masculine fabrics, and heavy use of leather before finally landing on the framed photos of Oliver and Thea standing only inches from where her glasses lay.

"Oh god," she gasped out and immediately went to throw the covers back, but Oliver's arm dropped across her legs, effectively trapping her and the bedding.

"Felicity, it's okay. I brought you here, remember?" he reminded her and all she could do was mutely nod as she processed the idea that Oliver had brought her to his room and told her to sleep in his bed. Her stomach flipping at the idea was not helping her wild thoughts or the way it filled her with warmth to know what he'd done.

"Still...I shouldn't...I can move to another room, really, it's fine." she was proud that her voice didn't shake. She was feeling better now that her nightmare had faded, and the very real reality of being in Oliver's room was providing an effective distraction.

"You're not moving rooms at two in the morning. Just stay. You can move tomorrow if you really want to." Oliver insisted and she could tell he was serious.

"Tomorrow? No...it'll be…" but she stopped herself as she remembered that Nate had gotten into her place and she really didn't want to go back to her place. "I can go to a hotel." she said weakly and could almost hear the aggravated sigh before he let it out.

"Fine. Then we'll go to a hotel together. But I'll let you deal with the press if you go that route." there was a sharp, satisfied quality to his words because he knew she'd never put them in that position. "You're not leaving my sight until this gets resolved, Felicity. I mean that."

She sunk back into the pillows with a resigned sigh. When he used that tone there was no arguing with him. She should know. She'd tried.

"Are you going to sit in that chair and stare at me all night? That's creepy, you know."

That earned her half a smile and a small shake of his head. "Are you trying to kick me out of my own room, Ms. Smoak?"

She could tell he was making an attempt to lighten the mood and she appreciated his effort. "Never. There's a perfectly comfortable couch over there, or the rest of this massive bed. It could easily hold four full sized adults."

Her eyes went wide at the same rate her face flushed red and her hands clamped hard over her mouth in horror. She had not just told Oliver to sleep in bed with her.

His eyebrows lifted into his hairline and she saw his mouth twitch in an attempt to not break into a grin. The one very specific grin that typically got him exactly what he wanted, and that she wasn't as immune to as she pretended to be.

"Felicity. Go to sleep." he said after a long moment and she couldn't help but suck in a loud breath at how he sounded. By the way he wiped his hands down his thighs and stood up quickly she thought he was surprised as well.

She shifted down until she was lying flat, curled on her side facing him and held her breath as his hand reached out and pulled the covers up over her shoulder. Shutting her eyes tight she focused on her breathing as she tried to bring her frantic pulse under control. When she opened them again he was gone, but he'd left the bathroom light on.

There were faint noises coming from further in the room and she assumed he was settling down on the couch. She only felt a little bad at the image of him fitting his large frame on it. She fell asleep with the comical picture in her head of his long limbs sprawling over the back and arms of the couch.

For the first time that night she slept soundly, and without dreams. Pale morning light finally made her crack open slightly swollen lids to see she'd rolled over and now faced away from the windows. If it wasn't for the large male body blocking her view she'd be able to see the rest of Oliver's massive bedroom.

Eyes that had barely been open were now wide in shock as she took in the sight only eighteen inches from her. Oliver was next to her. Sitting upright, head tipped back against the dark wood of the headboard, feet crossed at the ankles, he was so close she could make him out clearly without her glasses. His left hand rested so close to her fingers she wondered if he'd been holding her hand at some point.

She'd frozen when she'd realized what she was looking at and it took considerable control to let out the breath she'd been holding in a way that didn't make any unnecessary movement. By the time she'd fully exhaled her heart was thudding so loud in her ears she could hear nothing else.

Oliver had actually climbed in bed with her. It didn't matter that he was fully clothed and above the covers. The intimacy of his actions had her mind whirling as she tried to make sense of what he'd done.

He was concerned about her. And maybe she'd had bad dreams she wasn't aware of and he'd gotten in the bed to calm her down. That she could rationalize. It definitely went past their normal interactions, but they'd become more tactile recently, closer because of how much time they spent together and what they did. She shouldn't make more of it than it was.

And that was all perfectly logical and sensible, but it didn't stop a flush of heat from rising in her chest, or her stomach from flipping at his proximity, or the rushing wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her if she so much as cracked the rickety dam she'd put around her heart where Oliver was concerned.

The tingle of electricity that shot up her fingers and into her hand was the only indication she had that she'd stretched her hand those last few centimeters and was now touching him. She couldn't seem to stop and she watched in a sort of horrid fascination as her fingers curled around his.

Her eyes flew to his face when she felt his fingers close around hers and hold on tight, but there wasn't so much as a twitch of his eyelids.

For the next half an hour she was content to stay still and try and turn her brain off while she enjoyed the quiet calm of just laying next to him.

She actually found herself starting to doze back off when he shifted next to her. Blinking open heavy eyes she saw him staring at her, gaze unwavering. Neither of them spoke but she saw the questions in the look he gave her. She answered them just as silently.

When it got to be too much she dropped her eyes to their still joined hands and felt her cheeks grow warm. His thumb rubbed over her knuckles in slow comforting strokes and something that simple should not have sent shots of desire to her core, but it did. Before she could do something embarrassing like moan she pulled her hand away and sat up, pushing loose hair from her face. But when she sat back against the pillows and looked over at him she was struck by the image they must have made and a pang struck her chest at how much she wanted to be able to do this every morning.

He opened his mouth, no doubt to ask her something comforting like how she was or if she'd slept well and it was suddenly all too much. With a flush already creeping up her chest she threw back the covers and was halfway to the bathroom before she knew she was moving. Her steps faltered once when she realized how much worse running from his bed must have looked instead of just staying and talking, but she was already committed. The door shut with a satisfying thunk behind her as she leaned against it and willed her thudding heart to settle down.

With shaking hands she finger combed her hair and splashed water on her face and wondered if he'd let her get away with acting like she hadn't just done what she'd done when she emerged.

Other than the rumpled covers there was no sight of him when she came out and she felt a flash of apprehension mixed with something else when she saw the empty room. Not quite knowing what she should do she made her way back to the bedside and was just picking up her glasses from the table when there was a knock on the door and Digg's distinctive voice calling out Oliver's name.

She wasn't expecting him to come out of a door she hadn't noticed on the other side of the room. A door that must have led to his closet since he was now wearing grey dress slacks and had his shirt open. "Come on in, Digg." he called, eyes cutting over her briefly before Digg pushed in.

If he was surprised to see her there he didn't show it, but she definitely saw him take in the room, including the obviously slept in bed and Oliver's half dressed state.

Felicity slipped her glasses on and self consciously smoothed down her hair as the silence stretched on just a moment too long.

"You alright?" Digg asked, gaze holding hers in a way that made her feel like she could do nothing but tell him the truth.

"Yeah," she nodded,

"Lance is downstairs, he's got some info for you if you're up to it."

A bolt of fear went through her at what she might possibly find out, but she pushed it aside, knowing she needed to know everything.

"Yeah...yes...I want to hear whatever he has to say." she answered hoarsely, making her way around the end of the bed.

Knowing she had to say something to Oliver she turned to see him looking at her with an inscrutable expression. "I'll just...I'll just go down with Digg and leave you to...you know...finish." she waved a hand towards his half exposed chest and mentally cringed at how she must have sounded.

She didn't wait for a response, just crossed the room to join Digg.

"I'll be right there." Oliver called out behind her and she waved a hand over her shoulder as she exited, blowing out a long exhale when she reached the hallway.

Digg fell into step beside her and she could hear very plainly everything he wasn't saying.

"Everything is fine." she said finally,

He made some sort of harrumphing noise in his throat like he didn't believe her, "As long as you're sure."

"I am," she wasn't sure at all, her mind was a mess right then between Nate being back and Oliver...she couldn't make sense of anything just then.

They made their way down the long staircase she hadn't been able to walk up the night before and she found herself looking for the other Queens, not knowing how she'd be able to look them in the eye again.

She let Digg take the lead and followed him into one of the formal sitting areas. Her worn sweatshirt and leggings suddenly registered with her and she felt very young and very vulnerable as she walked in the room and saw Detective Lance in his uniform and Digg in his suit.

"Ms. Smoak," Lance said evenly and she was glad to hear his voice held no trace of pity or tenderness. It was exactly what she needed right then.

Head coming up she broke away from Digg, her clothes no longer an issue.

"Mr. Diggle said you had information. Did you find anything else in my apartment?"

"Boys focused on the bathroom since that's where you said it was. They also shut off your shower, by the way."

Felicity cringed, she'd never thought again about the shower running when she'd left.

"Tell them thank you for me."

Lance gave her a wry grin and pulled folded papers from inside his jacket pocket. "We didn't find anything else that looked out of place or tampered with. The windows were all closed and locked. Everything was dusted and we're running prints but…" he trailed off and she knew they wouldn't find anything.

She nodded with a heavy heart and wrapped her arms around her middle. She wanted Nate caught and sent back to the east coast.

"I need to get an official statement from you. But I also wanted to let you know I talked to the officer in charge of Samuel's case." Lance paused and shifted a little closer to her. "You need to know he was released. The psychologist at the facility he was sent to declared he was stable enough on meds to be let go."

A cold shiver ran down her spine and she held herself tighter.

"There's no way this guy is sane enough to be out." Digg said harshly, stepping to her side, "First thing he does is come to see her. No. And he's still violating the restraining order."

Lance winced, "There's no more restraining order."

Felicity gasped and took weak steps backwards until Digg's strong arm caught her. "No…" she said breathlessly, "How...that's not possible."

"From what the case officer said there was a closed meeting with his lawyer, a judge, and the psychologist. Everything has been rescinded."

She shook her head numbly, "How can they do that without me present? How can they not notify me?"

Lance gave a disgusted grunt, "Bureaucracy. You'll receive a notice in the mail in seven to ten business days."

"Oh my god."

"We're going to find this guy, don't worry. There's no doubt in my mind he's still unhinged and he won't have the protection of Mommy and Daddy here in Starling. We'll be bringing him up on all new charges." Lance said gruffly and she gave him a wavery smile in appreciation.

"Normally you'd need to come down to give your statement but…"

"Thank you," she said sincerely as he opened the papers and showed them to her.

"Just to be certain, this box of hair dye was left in your bathroom medicine cabinet and you did not put it there yourself, nor did anyone have your permission to enter your apartment and put it there." the photo was a close up of her cabinet interior, the box and the note seeming to jump off the page at her. An involuntary shiver went through her as she read the note again.

Swallowing heavily she nodded once. "It's not mine and I didn't ask anyone to put it in there." she confirmed.

Digg asked to see the photo and Lance handed it over. When he let out a muffled curse Felicity's head swiveled to look at him.

"What?"

There was an anger in his eyes she'd never seen before and her stomach dropped at what that could mean.

"Mr. Diggle, do you know something?" Lance prodded,

Digg's eyes cut over to her and then back to Lance, "I checked this cabinet before I left her alone. The dye wasn't there." he said heavily, turning to look fully at Felicity as his words registered with her.

It took a beat too long for her to understand what he was saying. Lance had already sucked in a breath before it slammed into her.

She felt like all the air had suddenly been removed from the room and there was no feeling in her legs as she clasped both hands over her mouth. Bile rose in her throat so quick it burned and she stared at Digg in horror.

Nate had been in her apartment while she was there.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Wow! Just...wow. Really, you're all amazing. I never would have guessed this story would be getting the love that it is but I'm very glad. Especially since it's sort of taken over my life right now and turned into quite a monster of a fic. Which means there are lots more chapters coming. Lots more. **

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

_Previously in 'Times Like These'_

_Digg's eyes cut over to her and then back to Lance, "I checked this cabinet before I left her alone. The dye wasn't there." he said heavily, turning to look fully at Felicity as his words registered with her._

_It took a beat too long for her to understand what he was saying. Lance had already sucked in a breath before it slammed into her._

_She felt like all the air had suddenly been removed from the room and there was no feeling in her legs as she clasped both hands over her mouth. Bile rose in her throat so quick it burned and she stared at Digg in horror._

_Nate had been in her apartment while she was there._

Her vision tunneled until all she could see was what was straight in front of her, and every desperate attempt to drag air into her lungs was futile as the panic rose in her chest and enveloped her completely.

She felt Digg catch her about the waist and ease her down to sit on a nearby ottoman while Lance laid a hand on her back and told her to lean forward. They sounded like they were talking to her from underwater, or maybe she was the one drowning. It was hard to tell.

She tried to concentrate on her breathing but it was no use, her chest rose and fell erratically as horrible thought after horrible thought flew through her head at what Nate could have done to her.

Then there were warm hands on her face and it was being pulled up until Oliver's worried eyes were the only thing she could see. Her fingers clamped tight around his wrists, and even though she still couldn't hear what he was saying over the rush of blood in her head she could feel his pulse and she concentrated on that.

She was able to take one regular breath and then a second and one of his hands slipped behind her ear and rubbed soothing circles into her scalp as she shut her eyes and tried to gather her control as she let him support her head.

Gradually her heart beat slowed and she could take normal breaths. When she began to hear the sounds around her she slowly opened her eyes to see Oliver right there, still crouched in front of her. Waiting.

He gave her a supportive smile as his thumb coasted repeatedly over her cheekbone. "Hey, what happened?"

She sat back abruptly at his question, immediately feeling the loss of his touch as she turned pleading eyes to Digg.

"Oliver," he said, but Oliver didn't take his eyes off of her, "Oliver, give her a minute." Digg spoke again, this time with more force and finally Oliver turned his head.

With a slight shake of his head and another look thrown her direction he reluctantly climbed to his feet and followed Digg to the other side of the room.

She tried to force the tension from her shoulders, but she knew Oliver's reaction wasn't going to be good when he heard what Digg was about to tell him.

Lance hovered next to her but one glance his direction let her know he had his eyes firmly fixed on Oliver and Digg.

There wasn't an explosion like she was expecting. Digg spoke in low tones, and she couldn't make out his words, but the tightening of Oliver's hands into fists and the way his jaw clenched let her know he'd found out about the restraining order at least. When he squared his shoulders and let his hands fall to his side, she knew he'd been told Nate had been in her apartment while she'd been there.

He looked like he did under the hood.

Digg was still speaking but Oliver was now looking at her and she couldn't have averted her gaze if she wanted to. The variety of emotion she saw flicker through his eyes was enough to leave her breathless once again and her heart flipped at the intensity she saw there.

It took her a moment to realize he was stalking back towards her and Lance, his attention now focused on the detective as he came so close to her side his pant leg was brushing her bare ankle.

"How can he have been released?" Oliver growled, waves of barely contained fury flowing from him.

Lance adjusted his stance and narrowed his eyes, "Like I told your bodyman and Ms. Smoak, he was cleared by a psychologist and a judge." before Oliver could erupt again he held up a hand, "I don't agree with it. The fact that the first thing he did was hop a plane and fly three thousand miles away to mess with her again tells me he's still got more than a few screws loose. But right now the only thing we could pick him up on was B and E, and even that could be hard to prove without prints."

Oliver glowered and scraped a rough hand over his hair. "He was in her place with her there." his voice was so low she was shocked at how much he sounded like the Arrow with the voice modulator and her hand shot out to lay against his leg in a weak attempt to calm him some in case Lance became suspicious. She could feel the hard, tense line of his quad through the fine Italian fabric she gripped tightly.

Lance let out a frustrated breath through his nose, "And I will enjoy nothing more than slapping cuffs on this creepy piece of scum when we find him. Until then, I recommend she doesn't go back there, or at least doesn't go back there alone."

Oliver actually scoffed at that, "She's not going anywhere near that place until he's behind bars."

Lance tipped his chin towards Digg, "I assume you're handling security here and at Queen Consolidated. Right now this really isn't a case, I'm doing it more as a favor of sorts but I could probably convince a few uniforms to moonlight for a little extra cash if you need the eyes."

Digg stepped forward until he was right behind her, "We've already added more men here. And security at QC knows to not let him in." there was a pause where she was sure he was looking to Oliver, "But I don't think we'd turn down assistance from SCPD. A few extra patrols on the exterior of the property would be welcome."

"I'll ask around. In the meantime, she shouldn't be alone-"

Felicity had suddenly had enough and pushed to her feet so quickly Oliver took a step back.

"That's it! She's right here! She's been right here the entire time! So you can all get off your testosterone high horses and realize that I am a human being with a brain, bigger than all of yours I might add, and that I am perfectly capable of participating in a conversation about my own safety!"

Lance had the decency to look slightly chagrined, but as she glanced at Oliver she wasn't surprised to see him staring back at her, unapologetic and if she had turned to look at Digg she knew he'd look the same.

"Felicity…" Oliver began and she whirled on him, finger pointing,

"Don't, Oliver." she said firmly, "I am obviously going to do whatever Digg and Detective Lance tell me to do. I am not being reckless. I am scared to death. And I can't even begin to tell you how I feel, knowing that he was…" she choked on her words and forced herself to continue, "that he was there when I was sleeping. I don't know if I'll ever be able to stay there again. But I get to have a say in all of this, okay."

She was staring at him through watery eyes as her chest heaved slightly from her outburst and she waited for him to respond.

"Okay," he said simply and she let out a shaky exhale, dashing a hand under her eyes to quickly wipe away any moisture that may have fallen.

She stared at Oliver a moment longer and pivoted to address Lance, "So where does this leave me? I need to at least go back and get some things." a cold chill went through her at the thought of going back, and she replayed her words to Oliver. A new apartment might be necessary when this was over.

"We can go over there if you'd like. In fact, I wouldn't mind walking through the place with you and making sure nothing else was touched."

"Do you know how he got in?" Oliver asked, voice much calmer than it had been before and she shot him an appreciative smile for his effort,

Lance shook his head no, "Can't say. Front door was locked, and I assume the alarm was set. All the windows were also locked and closed."

Felicity nodded, "The alarm was set...windows locked…" her mouth dropped open as a memory struck her, "Oh god,"

"What?" Oliver said, taking her by the elbow and turning her towards him.

"The window to the fire escape...it's sticky. Half the time it doesn't want to lock correctly I've been meaning to talk to the super…"

Digg interjected, "I checked all the windows, Felicity. The latch was locked."

"I know, it looks locked. And I never go out there. I never use it, especially this time of year and...I totally forgot…" she blanched as she remembered using the spoon to wedge it shut. After Nate had already been inside.

"That's how he got in." she looked at Lance, "I'm sure you took prints but maybe there's hair or fiber or...something he left behind."

"I'll have a unit go back over it." he assured her and she swallowed hard past the ball of acid in her throat at knowing it was her fault Nate had gotten in.

There was a minute where no one spoke and she could feel all eyes on her. She squared her shoulders and clasped her hands in front of her. "Okay, let's get this over with."

"Felicity, you don't have to do this. You can stay here and borrow some things from Thea…" Oliver began and she saw the true conflict in his expression.

"My life, my choice." she reminded him, "I'd rather be at work than stuck here. Not that this is a bad place to be stuck. It's a veritable fortress. But I can't just do nothing."

She knew the words she'd said before had resonated with him and his eyes fell shut for longer than a blink. It was the only tell he gave that let her know how much this was affecting him as well.

He was about to speak and she didn't know if it was to argue with her more or not when he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out her phone. She could see the screen and saw it was her mother calling. Her stomach dropped at the thought of having to tell her everything that had happened.

Oliver handed it to her silently and she took it with shaky hands as the call cut off. A quick swipe of her thumb let her know there were five missed calls and a new voicemail had just been left. With a sigh she gripped the slim device and turned to the others. "Sorry, I really need to take this before she gets on a plane and heads out here."

She looked around, wondering where she could go to make the call when Oliver dropped a hand on her shoulder. "Take your time. We'll be waiting when you're finished." he said softly, hand trailing down her arm as he stepped away, Digg and Lance right behind him.

Before she could talk herself out of it she pressed her mother's number and wandered to the large window overlooking a formal garden she'd never seen before, fingers absently playing with the drapes as she listened to the phone ring on the other end.

Her mom picked up almost immediately, calling out her name in worry and asking if she was alright.

"I"m okay, Mom." she said

"Why haven't you answered? I've been so worried!"

"I know, I'm sorry…" she paused, unsure of whether to tell her everything that had happened or not. "I, um, decided to stay with a friend last night I guess I didn't hear it ring."

"Why are you staying with a friend? Did Nate try something? Felicity, what is going on?"

She winced and rubbed her temples, her mother had always been able to spot when she wasn't being entirely truthful. "It's under control. The local police know what's happening."

"That didn't answer my question." her mother countered,

"Mom, I just don't want you to worry."

"Felicity, I'm your mother, I'm going to worry regardless. Now tell me what happened."

And then Felicity found herself telling her everything. About the hair dye, and the restraining order, and the fact that she had her boss's personal bodyguard protecting her.

By the time she'd done her best to convince her mother not to fly to Starling City she was drained and exhausted and it was only a little past eight in the morning. She took a moment and then shook herself off. If they wanted to get to the office at any sort of a respectable hour they needed to head to her apartment right then.

Digg and Oliver were waiting in the foyer when she joined them and she had hardly quirked an eyebrow before Digg spoke, "Lance is waiting outside."

"Sorry, and thanks." she said, waving her phone at them, not having anywhere to put it.

Oliver's brows drew together as he looked down at her, "Felicity, don't apologize. As much as you do for me...it's the least I can do for you." his blue eyes bore into her with such strength and conviction she could only nod,

Digg cleared his throat and opened the door for them as Oliver's hand dropped to her lower back and escorted her out.

There was an extra security detail at the door that usually wasn't there and he sprang ahead to open the rear car door for them. She slid across the seat and fastened her seat belt, watching as Lance's cruiser pulled away ahead of them.

The ride to her apartment was done in silence, and she could do no more than fiddle with her phone and look nervously out the window the closer they got.

She kept her eyes down when they pulled up in front of the building and she was very glad it was daylight. Oliver climbed out and reached back for her hand which she gratefully gave and if anyone noticed that he didn't let go of her when she was standing on the sidewalk they didn't say.

They headed straight for the elevators and her grip on Oliver's hand was so hard her own fingers were going numb. She didn't know what she expected to see when they reached her hallway, maybe crime scene tape, or the door standing open, but it looked no different than it ever had.

"I don't have my keys." she blurted out suddenly, her voice sounding louder than normal in the narrow space.

Lance held one up, "I got it." he stepped forward and had the door unlocked quickly.

Digg tensed imperceptibly and Oliver's hand pushed her back slightly so she was more behind him than beside him.

Lance entered first, followed by Digg. Oliver stepped across the threshold slowly, eyes taking everything in, including her reaction.

She watched as Digg and Lance headed for her bedroom, no doubt to look at the window and fire escape Nate had come through. Felicity couldn't seem to take her eyes off the couch as her heart tried to thud out of her chest.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked, tugging her towards him slightly.

She shook her head slowly and gestured towards the couch, "Just...I was sitting there, asleep and he...he was in here. He probably stood right here where we are now and watched me." a violent shiver shook her entire body. "He had to have been watching somehow. There was only an hour. I had just texted you and then...I fell asleep. I woke up only an hour later." two fingers laid over her slightly parted lips as she looked up at Oliver in shock, "God, what if he was still here when I woke up? How did I not know? How didn't I feel him staring at me?"

"Hey, this isn't your fault." Oliver's other hand wrapped around her wrist and drew her arm down to her side, "You thought you were safe in here. There was no reason to be on guard."

"He's right, you can't play the 'what if' game. If anything he's tipped his hand. We know he's still fixated on you and he's going to do stupid things like show up at your work and break into your apartment. He'll slip up and we'll get him." Lance said as he and Digg emerged from her room.

She gave the detective a tight smile and then motioned behind him, "Is it okay if I pack some things?"

"Just stay away from the window, but everything else is clear. Including the bathroom. I know how you women need your things." he was trying to lighten the mood some and she appreciated it.

She didn't realize Oliver was still at her side until she was about to step into her bedroom. "Oh, sorry, you um...you don't have to help or anything. I can do this."

"Felicity," he said warningly and she sighed and rolled her eyes, although she purposely slipped her hand from his. She could do this. Although it was nice having him there.

"Fine, then make yourself useful and get the duffel bag out of my closet, top right." she said, and pointed straight ahead at the door in front of him.

"Yes ma'am," he answered with an upturn of his lips and she made her way to her dresser.

She'd gather two sets of pajamas, spending much more time than was necessary deciding exactly what would be okay to wear in the Queen mansion, when she turned to see Oliver placing a garment bag and her large suitcase on the bed.

"That's not a duffle bag," she observed dryly,

"No, it's not." he agreed, ignoring her tone as he unzipped both and flipped the top open on the suitcase. Watching Oliver do something so...domestic in her bedroom was almost too much for her to handle.

"Why didn't you get my duffle bag?" she hoped her he hadn't heard the slight crack in her voice,

"Because we don't know how long this is going to take and I don't want you to have any reason to have to come back over here until it's through. So pack the big bags." for a second the control slipped and she saw the strain and the worry, and the unknown. Because this wasn't someone coming after the Arrow. This was something he hadn't had to deal with before.

Her eyes locked on his as they had a silent battle, but in the end she blinked first. She couldn't let him worry. He already had so much on his shoulders. And she didn't want to be in her apartment any more than he wanted her there.

"Fine. I'll pack the big bags. But you're carrying them to the car. Not Digg." she countered, and whirled on her heel with a flip of her hair as she went to place her armload of pajamas in the open case.

He let out a disgruntled noise but didn't say anything and she gave herself a mental victory point.

"I'll let you pack. Unless you need help with anything else."

She crossed back to the dresser and had just opened the top drawer when she let out an embarrassed squeak and shut it quickly, wondering if he'd caught a glimpse of her bras and underwear. But the small twinkle in his eyes let her know he had.

"No. I'm good. Very good. I can handle everything." she said quickly, "I'll call you when I need your muscle." she pressed her lips into a tight line and willed herself to stop talking.

His eyebrows raised slightly but he didn't comment, just gave her a wink as he left the room.

She spent the next five minutes muttering about Oliver Queen and winking and how it was just rude and there was no woman on the planet who could claim to be immune to that particular act, as she rifled through her lingerie, being selective as if it had a chance to be seen by someone other than her. With a disgusted groan she raked her hands through her hair and grabbed two large handfuls to stuff into the bags.

Fifteen minutes later she was fully packed, and dressed for the office in one of her favorite dresses, hair pulled back in her familiar ponytail. Being in the bathroom had made her stomach churn a bit, but she did what she had to do and got out as soon as possible. She stepped into her heels and smoothed the skirt down before she took a deep breath and opened the door.

Digg and Oliver were standing in her small kitchen talking quietly and it was a strange sight. Digg saw her first and gave her a warm, approving smile which she returned and was still on her face when Oliver pivoted to see her.

His features softened as he tilted his head towards the bedroom. "Lance got a call and had to go. Ready for the muscle now?" he asked as straight faced as possible, to which she scowled and brushed past him to unplug her coffee maker and microwave and look around to see if she'd forgotten anything.

She grabbed a few more things from the living room and slipped them into her bag before she cast one last glance around the place she used to feel safe in.

"Ready?" Oliver asked, one bag in each hand.

She took her coat from the closet and nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

A sort of self-satisfied pride filled her as she watched Oliver carry, not pull, her bags all the way to the elevator and down to the trunk of the car. She knew he wasn't pulling them on purpose to try and goad her into saying something, but she just exchanged a knowing look with Digg and remained silent.

She stood on the curb and watched with a barely contained grin as Oliver made a show of hefting the suitcases into the trunk. Even Digg cracked a broad smile and by the time she got into the car she'd forgotten all about standing in the very spot the night before shivering and scared out of her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you! You're the best readers ever! Seriously so glad everyone is loving this one. I'm already up to chapter 13(!) It's a hell of a ride but I think you'll appreciate it. I'd say I'm sorry for the cliffhanger but that would be a lie. I do that on purpose. :) **

**Also, I think this site was having issues two days ago when I posted chapter 5 and I'm not sure everyone even knew it had been updated. So you may want to take a peek and make sure you're all caught up before you continue. **

**Enjoy and let me know what you think.**

_Previously in 'Times Like These'..._

_A sort of self-satisfied pride filled her as she watched Oliver carry, not pull, her bags all the way to the elevator and down to the trunk of the car. She knew he wasn't pulling them on purpose to try and goad her into saying something, but she just exchanged a knowing look with Digg and remained silent._

_She stood on the curb and watched with a barely contained grin as Oliver made a show of hefting the suitcases into the trunk. Even Digg cracked a broad smile and by the time she got into the car she'd forgotten all about standing in the very spot the night before shivering and scared out of her mind._

****They only walked through the lobby of Queen Consolidated twenty minutes late and since Oliver didn't have a meeting until just before lunch it gave her time to get settled and find her feet again. She could feel his eyes on her through the glass but it was comforting more than intrusive, and if anyone thought it odd that Digg was standing sentry near the elevators they didn't say a word.

She was able to focus the majority of the day. Loud noises made her jump but she covered it quickly even though she knew Digg and Oliver noticed, but they were kind enough not to say anything. She didn't know if it was that she felt safe there, or that she knew she wouldn't be going home alone that night. But really she thought more than anything it was that this time no one doubted her. Seven years before she'd been on her own for too long before anyone else took her seriously, and by then it was almost too late. This time there was no question, and that went a long way to healing old wounds she didn't even know still existed.

Digg had arranged for lunch to be brought in by another member of the Queen's security staff so they wouldn't have to go out. They ate in Oliver's office as she detailed every single search engine, database, facial recognition program, and the other various ways she planned on finding Nate that night when they got to the lair.

Their afternoon was trouble free and soon enough they were making their way back down the executive elevator towards the parking garage. She knew normally Digg picked Oliver up out front for a quicker exit but with the way both of them were casting about vigilant eyes she figured they wanted as controlled an environment as possible.

As soon as she stepped foot in the lair she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and felt an immediate sense of relief. Her shoulders lowered, muscles loosened, and the knot in her gut disappeared.

"Better?" Digg asked with a knowing look

"Yeah, nothing like an underground fortress to make you feel secure." she said as she crossed to her computers with a sure stride and flipped the monitors on.

She lost herself for the next several hours, barely looking up and noticing Oliver and Digg sparring as she searched for Nate. Hitting dead end after dead end she kept going until a heavy hand fell on her shoulder and she looked up in surprise to see Oliver standing next to her, dressed to leave, the smell of the soap he kept in the shower there surrounding him.

"Found anything?" he asked

"No." she said sharply, taking off her glasses and rubbing at her suddenly tired eyes. "He's been at the facility for seven years so...no driver's license, no credit card, no passport, no bank history, no rental cars. Just one plane ticket from Boston to Starling arriving first thing yesterday morning."

"Facial recognition?" he asked

She made a growling noise low in her throat and spun her chair back to the monitors, pointing to the one at the end, "Still running. I'm sure I'll pick him up at the airport, but other than that...unless he happens to walk past a CCTV…"

"Any idea where he's staying?"

"Could be anywhere. If he paid cash he'd be invisible. I even ran my aunt and uncle's credit cards but there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Their bank records are proving more difficult to access, but I should be in there tomorrow." she scrubbed her hands wearily over her face and slid her glasses back on as she turned her attention to the screens. "He's basically a ghost."

Oliver's hand returned to her shoulder and slid across her back, leaving a trail of heat in it's path. "Well he's not going to be able to hide forever. And so far today he doesn't seem to know where you are. How about we head home?" her head whipped his direction at his use of the word 'home', but he didn't seem to have found anything wrong with it and was already standing and pulling her coat off the back of the chair.

"Oliver…" she protested weakly but he leveled her with a look and she knew he wasn't going to let her stay there alone. "Okay, but let me set it up so I get the alerts on my phone."

What should have been a five minute job stretched to almost another hour as she thought of a different data mining program she hadn't used yet that would cross reference anything from Nate or his parent's past before the seven years he was away to any potential connections he could have now. On a whim she added in the names of his lawyer, the judge who had heard his case, and the psychologist who had claimed he was better.

When large hands suddenly dropped over hers atop the keyboard she gasped and sat back, looking up to see Digg staring at her from the other side of the monitor and Oliver leaning across her from behind.

"I told you I just needed a few minutes." she said harder than she intended as she jerked her hands away and put them in her lap.

"Felicity, that was an hour ago." Digg said gently and her eyes flew to the clock to see he was telling the truth.

"Oh, god. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, we know how you are when you get into a zone. But it's late." he said and she nodded her agreement.

Oliver was now standing where she could see him and she gave him a sheepish smile and a shrug of her shoulders as she stood. He held her coat out for her and she slid her arms in, trying not to shiver when he pulled her hair out from under the collar. "Don't worry about it," he said in a whisper as he leaned close for a second. By the time she felt like she could breathe again he was five steps away and heading for the stairs.

With a sigh she turned her monitors off but left the searches running.

"I'll be at the mansion tonight." Digg said and a wave of guilt washed over her,

It must have been splashed all over her face because he caught her arm and waited for her to look at him. "Did you or did you not go to Russia and help me and Lyla break out of a gulag?"

She knew what he was doing and let out a long breath, "I did."

"And do you or do you not have my back every night I go out there?"

"I do," her voice was wispy now, and she had to swallow past a lump in her throat.

"Then stop feeling guilty about us helping you."

"Okay," she agreed and couldn't resist bouncing up on her toes so she could press a kiss to his cheek.

He gave a pretend huff of annoyance as they made their way to where Oliver waited at the foot of the stairs. Once again, his hand fell to her lower back as they headed out of the lair.

Neither man talked while Digg drove them back to the mansion and it didn't take long for her eyes to grow heavy as the stress of the past thirty-six hours and her restless sleep the night before caught up with her.

She woke up to hushed whispers and the soft shutting of a door. There was something solid beneath her cheek and she was somehow moving. When she peeked open her lashes she caught the now familiar sight of the Queen mansion's foyer, although this time the lighting was low and there was no one watching.

It took her longer than it should have to realize she was moving because Oliver was carrying her again. She pushed one hand into his chest and brought her head up as he stilled. "It's alright, I've got you." he said quietly and she contemplated doing as he said. His arms were strong and warm under her and being held by him made her heart do flip after flip. But her brain told her she was entering dangerous waters and she should keep things like they had been.

He'd started walking again when she looked ahead and caught sight of Moira Queen, poised at the top of the staircase, looking imperious in a cream silk dressing gown. Her expression gave away nothing, but suddenly the last place Felicity knew she should be was Oliver's arms.

"Put me down!" she hissed, struggling so fiercely he had no choice but to pause and readjust his grip. "Oliver! Put me down! Your mother is watching and I am perfectly capable of walking. Please, put me down!" her hushed ranting carried in the large space and she had a feeling Moira had heard every word.

Reluctantly he lowered her legs until they touched the next step up from him. His arm remained wrapped around her waist until he knew she was steady and then she turned, face flaming to look at the Queen matriarch.

Oliver joined her on the same step and planted a hand in her back to urge her to keep walking. She stumbled as she moved her leaden feet and he leaned in to whisper, "I thought you said you could walk."

She shot him a glare and made it the rest of the way up the stairs without incident. When they reached the top she remained silent, not knowing what she could possibly say or what Oliver had already told his mother about why she was there.

But Moira merely spared them a single glance before she looked over Oliver's shoulder at Digg who was currently bringing her bags in.

"I've had the Green Room in the East Wing opened up, Mr. Diggle. You can take Ms. Smoak's belongings there." she said evenly although she gave Oliver a look that spoke volumes and Felicity suddenly felt very very ill at ease.

"Mrs. Queen, I'm very sorry for intruding. I can...I can go to a hotel." she stammered, and whipped her head to look at Oliver, "Really, I can. I can go to a hotel. This is too much. I understand. I shouldn't have…" before she could stop the words coming out of her mouth or even register that Oliver had taken her by the arm she was looking back at Moira, "I know what you're probably thinking but Oliver, he's just being a friend. I don't know what he told you but there's someone sort of after me. Well, it's hard to explain. But my apartment isn't safe. He broke in there. It wasn't good. And I appreciate the offer to stay here because...you live in a castle and castles were made to withstand wars, there's just not a moat. But you're a Queen, so…." she finally stopped herself and dropped her eyes as tears gathered behind them. She hadn't been on a ramble that horrible in a long time and of course it would have to be in front of Moira Queen of all people.

"Ms. Smoak, you are more than welcome here. Oliver told me about his concerns for your safety last night. If you need anything please let any member of the household staff know. I hope to see you at breakfast." she gave Felicity a warm smile and laid a hand on her son's arm as she passed.

They were both quiet until she disappeared from sight and then Felicity whirled on Oliver. "Oh my god! Why didn't you stop me? Why didn't you say anything?" she cried as she swatted at his arm. She felt embarrassed and like she was about to burst into tears as her frazzled nerves were rubbed raw from the encounter.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't exactly sure how." he admitted, looking genuinely lost and she had to stop and smile as she sagged against him slightly.

Digg was waiting at the end of the hall and they passed by Oliver's room which she tried to ignore. It would be so easy to just turn left, and crawl between the familiar sheets she'd been so comfortable in just that morning.

Feeling Oliver's eyes on her she quickly cleared her throat and looked ahead, but not before glancing at him and seeing something she didn't expect. He looked like he may have been having the same thought.

It felt like ages before Digg turned down two more hallways and finally stopped in front of a door. Oliver gave a rueful shake of his head as he turned the handle, "Literally on the other side of the house. I think my mother is trying to prove a point."

He pushed in and flipped a light switch illuminating a room that was almost the size of her entire apartment. It had green brocade wallpaper, and a four poster bed with a comforter so thick it looked like if she lay on it she'd become lost. There was a small sitting space in front of a large bay window and a giant chandelier hung from the ceiling.

"Wow," she said, mouth falling open in shock. "This is nicer than the nicest hotel room I've ever been in." she admitted, trailing her fingers over the bedding and turning to see that there was even a fireplace on the other side of the room.

"This is Mom's favorite guest room." Oliver informed her as Digg carried the bags in and entered another door that must have been a closet. "She reserves it for very special guests." he emphasized the word 'guests' and she cocked her head quizzically.

He scraped a rough hand over the back of his head before he answered, "My mother is concerned about the image we could portray to the public. EA...CEO." his hand waved back and forth between them and her stomach sank as she understood what he was getting at.

"But we already have that image," she said, confused. She'd been subjected to the gossip right after her promotion. Luckily it had seemed the die down lately.

"Well apparently she's unaware, or maybe she's very aware. Her putting you in here is to make it clear you are a guest, and expected to stay in the guest wing of the house."

"And not your bed," she added before she could stop herself, breath catching as Oliver's eyes flew to hers.

"Something like that," he said, and she could have sworn his voice was just a touch deeper than normal.

Digg joined them and she was grateful for the interruption. "Bags are put away. There will be an agent in the hallway all night. If you press number nine on the house line you'll get the guard house at the entrance. I'll be just out back in the guest house tonight. You have my number. Use it if you need to. I mean it."

"I will. I promise." she told him and tried to ignore the cold that seemed to be creeping into her veins the closer she got to being alone for the first time since she'd opened her medicine cabinet.

"I need to go talk to the detail. Get a good nights sleep, okay? Or at least try." he pulled her in for a quick hug as he passed and then it was just her and Oliver.

Her eyes darted nervously around the room and she licked her lips twice before she risked looking at Oliver.

"If this is too much or you want to move to a different room we can do that." she knew what he was offering her and it sent a warmth through her.

"I'll be fine." she assured him, "Really. I'm just so grateful you're letting me stay here and the extra security and...thank you."

He was right in front of her then, his hands clasping hers where they wrapped around herself. "Of course, I just...I need you safe."

Their eyes locked and she swore she could feel the electrical charge in the air between them.

"I'm safe here, with you." she told him and watched, amazed, as his eyes fell shut.

His fingers squeezed hers and then he was stepping back, "You know where I am if you need me." he said as he made his way to the door.

She followed him and stood in the threshold as he exited. At the end of the hall she could see a man in a dark suit, hands clasped in front of him and knew he had to be the agent Digg had mentioned.

"Maybe I should have left a trail of breadcrumbs back to your room." she joked

"Two lefts and a right," he said with a soft smile

"I'll try and remember that."

"Goodnight, Felicity."

"Goodnight, Oliver."

She watched as he made his way down the hall, hands stuffed into the pockets of his cargo pants. He nodded to the agent and then turned and lifted a hand her direction before he continued on, out of sight.

With a sigh she went back into the room, not knowing how to process everything that had happened in the past day, especially things with Oliver and decided quickly that she couldn't do that right then. It was just too much.

Feeling more and more drained she got changed on autopilot. The opulence of the bathroom woke her momentarily and she eyed the deep, jetted tub appreciatively. Face washed, glasses off, and hair in a braid she left the light on again as she headed straight for the bed.

The sheets and mattress were just as soft and plush as the ones in Oliver's room, and as she snuggled into the pillow and pulled the comforter up around her neck she realized there was only one problem. They didn't smell right.

She thought there was a chance she'd lie awake, her mind unable to stop working as she tried to find another way to track Nate, but she fell asleep almost immediately.

However, when the nightmare hit her she'd later wished she'd sat up all night instead.

She was trapped in an apartment that was a mix of her old one from college and her current. In the dream she was running, constantly running, one room moving into another but never ending. And right behind her, arms stretched out trying to catch her was Nate, yelling the name 'Jenny', as she tried to scream for someone to help her.

But her calls were stuck in her throat, and as she moved from room to room the terror she felt was overwhelming. He was going to catch her, and he was going to hurt her.

A loud noise jerked her to a place where she was still half asleep and fearing for her life. The strange room, low light, and her lack of glasses left her disoriented and unable to make out anything other than a large, unfamiliar figure silhouetted in the open door.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you! The story is going so well and I'm so excited to share it so you get another chapter. No cliffhanger this time. I'll be nice. For now. :)**

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think. **

_Previously in 'Times Like These'..._

_She thought there was a chance she'd lie awake, her mind unable to stop working as she tried to find another way to track Nate, but she fell asleep almost immediately._

_However, when the nightmare hit her she'd later wished she'd sat up all night instead._

_She was trapped in an apartment that was a mix of her old one from college and her current. In the dream she was running, constantly running, one room moving into another but never ending. And right behind her, arms stretched out trying to catch her was Nate, yelling the name 'Jenny', as she tried to scream for someone to help her._

_But her calls were stuck in her throat, and as she moved from room to room the terror she felt was overwhelming. He was going to catch her, and he was going to hurt her._

_A loud noise jerked her to a place where she was still half asleep and fearing for her life. The strange room, low light, and her lack of glasses left her disoriented and unable to make out anything other than a large, unfamiliar figure silhouetted in the open door._

She screamed in terror as she scrambled backwards, knees crashing to the floor before she forced herself upright and looked around frantically for somewhere to run.

The person at the door was speaking, but her ears were ringing and she wasn't even sure she was awake. The thought that Nate could have gotten into the mansion was too frightening to consider.

Trying to calm her rapidly racing heart she made her way slowly to the foot of the bed, only taking her eyes away from the intruder long enough to look around the room for a weapon.

The fireplace was only five steps behind her now and she backed up cautiously hand stretching behind her until she made contact with the cold iron of the poker. She drew it from the stand and held it in front of her.

Then just as suddenly the man was gone, leaving nothing but an empty doorway behind him. She sank to the carpet on wobbly legs, still holding the poker as she shook and tried to figure out if she was still dreaming or not.

The silence was more unnerving that anything. She knew she should get up and get to the phone like Digg had told her, but she couldn't seem to get her body to respond. It wasn't until there was another barrage of noise a few minutes later that her head jerked up.

She could hear thundering footsteps and a loud voice calling her name getting progressively closer. The grip she had on the poker tightened until Oliver, Digg, and two men she didn't know burst through the doorway.

Felicity let out a gasping sob of relief as Oliver skidded to his knees next to her, hands dropping to her shoulders as he pulled her to him.

"Hey, hey, you're okay." he crooned into her hair and she sagged against him as she let her mind catch up with what was happening.

A warm hand on hers made her sit up some and look down to see Digg prying the poker from her clenched fist. "Good job," he said quietly and then backed off to talk to the other men.

One of them now looked familiar, "Oh! You...he…" she pointed and Oliver and everyone else turned to watch her.

"I'm the agent on duty, ma'am. I heard noises from the room and came to check but...my presence seemed to frighten you. I notified Mr. Diggle and Mr. Queen as directed. My apologies, ma'am." he said stiffly and her cheeks flushed,

"There wasn't an intruder. Nate wasn't here." she said more to herself than anyone else.

Oliver's arm wrapped around her shoulders, the warmth of him was welcome. The tank top and shorts she'd slept in were now leaving her cold as the adrenaline wore off and her sweat soaked skin cooled.

"You had a bad dream, that's all."

She buried her face in her hands, "Oh god, he's getting inside my head. I know better."

Oliver pulled her closer and tucked her head under his chin as she took long deep breaths to try and center herself. It was on the third breath that she realized he didn't have a shirt on, which only caused her breath to stutter again.

There were more voices at the door and she peeked through her fingers to see Digg ushering out the other agents while Moira and Thea hovered just outside.

"Oliver, is everything alright? We heard screaming and yelling but Mr. Diggle said there wasn't a security breach." Moira asked while Thea pushed past her into the room.

"Are you alright?" it was Thea and Felicity was surprised by the kindness in her voice.

Feeling very exposed, and very awkward she pushed away from Oliver and scrambled off the floor to unsteady feet. He rose immediately next to her, a hand extended like he thought she might fall any second.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry if I woke you up. It was just a bad dream and then I didn't know if I was awake or not and...I'm just sorry." she stammered,

"It's okay, you've got some crazy stalker guy after you. I'd be freaked out too." Thea said with a shudder and Felicity couldn't help but give her a tight smile. "But seriously Mom, extra security inside and out and you put the poor girl all the way over here by herself? What's with that? If I were her I'd rather be near people." she turned a pointed look at Moira who had the grace to drop her chin minutely.

"Perhaps that was an oversight on my part." she conceded and exchanged a look of her own with Oliver.

"Why don't you two go back to bed." he suggested, taking a step forward as his hand came to rest low on Felicity's waist. She wanted to do nothing more than to press herself into his solid, secure warmth once again and forget the past couple of days hadn't happened. But she couldn't do that in front of his family.

Moira nodded once and reached an arm out for her daughter, "Thea, let's leave Ms. Smoak to get resettled. Wherever that may be." her final words were said evenly, and without judgement and Felicity felt Oliver's fingers tighten on her hip.

She waited until she could no longer hear them and then she stepped out of Oliver's grasp. The heels of her hands came up to press over her eyes as she tried to calm her erratic thoughts. "I'm sorry. He's getting into my head and messing with me. I really thought he was here."

One strong hand wrapped around the nape of her neck while the other slid over her back and drew her slowly into him. He didn't say a word, he just held her as she slowly relaxed. Eventually her hands fell from her face to rest against his chest and after she took one shuddering breath she gave in and laid her cheek on his warm flesh and let her arms band about his back.

He let out a long exhale of his own and tightened his hold on her. The hand on her back rubbed slow circles across the thin cotton of her shirt, the heat from his palm seeming to grow hotter with each pass. When the fingers of his other hand began to lightly massage her stiff neck she couldn't' stifle the low moan that escaped her throat and they both stilled at that.

This time it was Oliver that pulled back and she looked everywhere but at him until he caught her chin and directed her gaze towards his. There was so much in his eyes she felt like she was being pulled under. "Do you want to stay in here?" he asked throatily and a bolt of desire shot through her at his tone. The slight darkening of his eyes made her wonder if he'd seen something in her expression.

Her head shook left to right before she could get the words out. "No. I'm sorry. It's a beautiful room but…" and she didn't want to stay there. She didn't want to be alone.

"That's all you have to say." his hand skimmed down her arm, leaving goosebumps in it's wake until he reached her hand. He wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed tight. "Come on, you need sleep. And so do I. I didn't like having you over here either."

The breath caught in her throat at his admission. "You weren't sleeping?" she asked as he turned and began to tow her towards the door. He snagged her phone and glasses from the bedside table before they exited, but didn't hand them over.

"I kept thinking about how long it would take to get to you if something happened. And then I got the call from the agent and...I found out how long it would take. Too damn long."

She couldn't speak after hearing that and settled for slipping her fingers through his until their palms touched.

They made their way into the hallway, and she barely paid attention as he lead her back towards his room. At the first juncture the agent who had scared her so badly fell into step behind them. When they finally reached Oliver's room he took up a station outside the door.

Her resolve faded a bit when she was once again inside his space. But Oliver didn't hesitate. He walked towards the bed and pulled back the still perfectly made covers, supporting his claim that he hadn't been sleeping.

"Go on," he said, and gestured towards the sheets she'd loved so much the night before.

"Oliver…" she protested, not knowing how she felt about getting back into his bed again. Things were shifting quickly with them and she knew he felt it too.

"Felicity. We need sleep. It's just sleep. Get in the bed."

Hearing him say those words made the low pool of heat in her belly spring to life and a flush rise in her chest. "Okay," she said, barely audible and before she could second guess what she was doing she climbed in and scooted over.

She heard a clunk and another softer sound as he sat her phone and glasses down and then there was a dip and he was sliding between the sheets as well.

Heart pounding she forced herself to lay as still as possible as he got comfortable, one hand slipping behind his head as he lay on his back.

Thinking it would be better if she wasn't looking at him she turned on her side and curled into a ball, an ocean of mattress now between them. If he knew what she was doing and why he decided to let it go.

They exchanged whispered goodnights and she didn't lay there long before she was once again asleep.

She didn't know if it was Oliver's presence, or her exhaustion, or a combination of the two, but she slept soundly and didn't wake until the room was lit with morning light and a repeating noise from her phone made her crack open her eyes.

All she knew was she was warm and comfortable and the noise was annoying. She didn't want to move, and when there was a bit of silence she sighed gratefully and turned into the solid presence behind her.

Her phone began again and she groaned. There was a shifting next to her and she pushed up on one arm to see the offending device on the table across from Oliver. Without thought she reached over his bare chest where she was currently half draped and snatched the phone up with an irritated growl. She muted the phone and laid her head back down on his shoulder as his hand slipped over her hip, thumb drawing circles on her exposed skin.

She was sleepy and content, and it wasn't until his other hand reached up and moved away hair that had escaped her braid that she went still, realizing exactly what she was doing.

A low humming sound came from deep in his chest and she heard him mumble her name as his hold on her tightened.

With her heart pounding, worried about what he would do when he woke up she didn't dare move. Breath by breath she let herself relax back into him, telling herself not to enjoy how perfect and natural it felt to lay there in his arms.

The hand on her hip was still occasionally swirling around the sensitive skin, his fingers sliding easily under the hem of her shirt where it had pushed up while she'd slept. Tingles of electricity seemed to skitter from wherever he touched and she let her traitorous thoughts stray to places it shouldn't.

The phone was still clutched in her hand where it rested on the center of Oliver's chest and she was staring at the almost surreal sight when the screen lit up again with what she could now see was a text.

The three texts still viewable were from a number she didn't recognize and at first she assumed they were a wrong number until the name that each text began with resonated with her.

_'Jenny-No one can keep me away from you!'_

_'Jenny-Stop ignoring me or you'll be sorry!'_

_'Jenny-why aren't you answering me?'_

She forgot all about trying to stay still as she pushed off of Oliver's chest and scrambled to sit up thumbing on her phone to look at the other texts she'd received.

Each one made her stomach churn as she read them with horror.

_'Jenny-I need you!'_

_'Jenny-You can't hide from me forever.'_

_'Jenny-I waited for you all night'_

_'Jenny-You why aren't you at your apartment'_

Hand covering her open mouth, a thousand questions ran through her mind. The biggest one however, was how Nate had gotten her phone number.

So distracted by the texts she hadn't noticed when Oliver had woken up. It wasn't until a warm hand ran up her arm and she felt his breath in her ear that she noticed he was awake.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, immediately on alert. She jerked her head up and to the side so she could see him, no longer phased by his nearness. He had one hand braced behind her as he leaned forward to see what she was looking at.

Soundlessly she handed him the phone and let herself sink back half an inch until she made contact with him, the twisting fear in her gut abating some by the unspoken comfort he gave her.

Every muscle in his body seemed to tense at once as he read. "How did he get your number?" he asked harshly,

She shook her head and took the phone back before she answered, "I don't know. It's not listed, I'm very careful with who I give it out to...I have no idea how he got it."

"Do you recognize the number it came from?" he'd sat up straighter and pulled away from her some which made her shiver. The sheets were pooled in both their laps, leaving her bare arms exposed to the cooler air of the room.

"No, I'll run the usual traces but I'd bet it's a burner phone. I could probably find a general location for where the texts were sent from but…" a dark thought crossed her mind and she had to pause and take a deep breath through her nose before she could voice it, "God... they were sent either from my apartment or near there, I'm sure of it."

A low growl rumbled from him and she only felt grateful when he wrapped an arm around her waist, hand splayed across her abdomen and tugged her into him. She went without resistance, turning so she could curl against his side.

"You're not going back there until he's caught." Oliver said and she swore she felt his lips brush her temple before he was setting her back and sliding from the bed.

"I'm going to call Digg, he'll want to see those." he was already halfway across the room heading for the desk where his phone sat.

Her mouth went dry as she saw how low his sweats rested on his hips and almost got caught staring when he came back her way, phone in one hand, grey hoodie in the other.

"Digg, I need you to come up to the house." he said into the phone, wordlessly handing her the hoodie. When she quirked a confused brow at him he turned the phone slightly away from his mouth, "You're cold," he mouthed before he turned his attention back to Digg.

"We'll show you when you get up here." he replied to Digg's question and hung up.

Slowly she slid her arms into the sleeves and pulled it over her shoulders. He'd worn it earlier because his scent still lingered and it took everything in her not to turn her nose into the fabric and inhale. She rolled the cuffs and adjusted it around her before she looked up to see him staring at her, a look in his eyes she'd never seen before.

Felicity cleared her throat and ran a nervous hand over her head before she looked around and leaned across the bed to grab her glasses. She turned her phone back on and busied herself doing what she could with her limited resources as a way to ignore whatever was going on between her and Oliver.

When Digg arrived a few minutes later Oliver had slipped on a t-shirt and was pacing next to the bed. She only noticed when there was a rap on the door and Digg pushed in that she was still sitting in the middle of Oliver's bed.

Deciding she'd have to try and act as nonplussed as possible she straightened up and made sure the texts were on her screen as he approached them. His dark eyes cast an appraising look over both of them and she didn't miss the slight narrowing there that let her know he didn't totally approve.

"Here," she said a little more enthusiastically than necessary, holding the phone out to him, "I don't know how he got the number. I'll run everything I can when we get to the lair but...he was at my apartment. Somehow...I just know that's where he was." her shoulders contracted in an involuntary shiver and she watched Digg's jaw tighten as he read through the messages.

"Can I send these to Lance? Maybe this will be enough to get someone posted at your apartment."

She nodded her consent and looked at the clock, shocked to see it was later than she'd expected. "Crap, we're going to be late for work." she said in a rush and hurried to throw the covers back and climb from the bed. Oliver and Digg had both backed up as she moved past and then stopped suddenly. "All my things are still in the other room."

Oliver stepped forward, "Go take a shower and I'll have someone bring your things over. We'll stop by the lair first so you can do what you need to do."

"Oliver...you had a meeting at ten this morning…"

"And it can be rescheduled. Nothing is more important right now." he said seriously and she had to swallow heavily at the intensity in his eyes.

"Okay," she whispered, and before she could say or do something she shouldn't she made her way into the bathroom without looking back.

Her mind was whirling as she turned on the shower and stripped, taking the hoodie off reluctantly. It wasn't until she'd unbraided her hair and was standing under the hot spray that the fact she was naked in Oliver's shower resonated within her.

A flash of how they'd woken up came to the forefront of her mind and a warm, happy feeling filled her. For just one minute she let herself want that. She let herself believe that was possible, that it was something she could have everyday. The attraction she'd had for him had only grown over the past six months since he'd been back and it wasn't something she could ignore any longer. He'd done and said things that made her think it wasn't completely one-sided, and that tiny bit of hope was quickly growing out of control.

She didn't know how long she'd been standing there day dreaming and had to force herself to hurry through the rest of her shower. When she got out and dried off she had the very real issue of only having a towel to wear. Cheeks already pink she cracked the door open and looked out but saw no one, she also didn't see her bags.

Tip-toeing across the carpet she was looking to see if Digg had left her phone when a woman in a uniform emerged from the closet. "Oh, Miss Felicity, your bags have been moved as requested."

Feeling extremely self-conscious Felicity mumbled out a thank you and waited for the woman to leave before she half ran to the closet before anyone else could catch her without any clothes on.

She was expecting to see her suitcases stacked off to the side. The sight that greeted her was enough to make her knees weak. Her bags had been unpacked. Not only had they been unpacked they had been hung up. In Oliver's closet.

Her work dresses hung on a rack next to his suits and her other clothes were folded on open shelves, her shoes sitting next to his on a long rack. She was dumbstruck at the want that washed over her.

She was so affected by seeing her things so easily mingled with his that when he entered the closet behind her and immediately apologized she didn't hear him at first.

Felicity whirled on the spot when he called her name as she clutched the top of her towel tightly.

"Oliver!" she blurted out, "I'm sorry. I...I didn't think they'd do this. This is...too much. I could have just taken my things out of the suitcase, it would have been fine. I don't want to impose. I mean, more than I already have."

He took two steps forward and she didn't miss how he took in her clothes mixed with his.

"Felicity, it's okay. I told them to put your things in here." he assured her, but his voice was tight and had a timbre to it she'd never heard before.

There was only a foot between them and it was suddenly hard to breathe. His eyes darkened as he leaned closer and she was sure there was no more air entering her lungs and she didn't dare blink.

When his hand coasted over her cheek her eyes fell shut, his name tripping off her tongue at a whisper.

"You should get dressed."

But the words sounded forced and her eyes flew open to see him closer than ever. She watched as a war raged inside him and with one more drag of his knuckles across her cheek he dropped his hand and stepped back before he left the room.

She let out a ragged breath and then forced herself to focus on what she needed to do. Spending time wondering what was going on between her and Oliver when Nate was out there didn't do anyone any good.

However, as she got dressed, standing in the largest closet she'd ever seen, surrounded by Oliver's things she knew that would be easier said than done. And her cheek still tingled where he'd touched her.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I can't promise you'll be getting new updates every day. So don't get greedy! But I'm feeling generous. And maybe a bit evil. And when you get to the end you'll know why. :)**

**Also, the site did that thing again where it wasn't showing that stories had been updated on the main page. Check and make sure you haven't missed a chapter. **

**Enjoy, and I can't wait to hear what you think.**

Twenty minutes later she was ready to go. Her phone was nowhere to be found and she assumed it was still in Digg's possession. She'd had one more slightly awkward encounter with Oliver when he'd come back to the closet for a forgotten tie while she was slipping her shoes on. It was the easy, natural familiarity of the action that struck her and she knew she hadn't been able to hide her reaction from him. However, it was made easier or maybe harder that he hadn't been able to mask his face either.

They made their way silently down the hallway, coats thrown over their arms, the large bag she used for work clutched tightly in her right hand. As they walked down the stairs his hand hovered near her elbow and she had to focus more than she should have on each step to make sure she didn't stumble.

Moira met them in the foyer and Felicity immediately felt a rush of guilt and embarrassment at not only having woken the entire house, but how she knew she'd spent the rest of the night in Oliver's room.

"Good morning, Mother." Oliver said evenly, crossing to buss her on the cheek.

"Good morning, dear, Ms. Smoak."

Felicity somehow managed to return the greeting around a thick tongue and tried to look everywhere but at the other woman.

"Breakfast is ready, you should eat before you head into the office." the way she spoke let them know there was really no room for argument.

A maid appeared from out of the shadows and took both their coats and Felicity's bag before she knew what was happening and Oliver sent her a resigned look that told her to just go with it.

"Breakfast sounds perfect, ." she said with a tight smile

"Excellent, Thea and Roy are already waiting." her hand extended out behind her and Felicity just caught the muscle ticking in Oliver's jaw that told her he didn't want to be there.

His hand fell to the small of her back again and she could feel the heat through the material of her dress. Touching her there seemed like something he did now, something that was so automatic and normal he didn't even seem to know he was doing it. But she was very aware.

She assumed they'd be going to the dining room. She'd only seen it once, a smaller investor dinner Oliver had hosted and he'd insisted he'd needed her for. She spent most of the night in the kitchen eating leftovers with the extra staff that had been hired. Digg had offered to drive her home when it was over she'd grabbed an expensive bottle of wine off the sideboard and sent Oliver a challenging glare as she'd stalked out of there.

However, the dining room was dark and with slight pressure he directed her down a hallway to the right which opened up into a large, bright, open breakfast room that overlooked a formal garden.

Thea and Roy were already seated, Roy looking slightly awkward as he sat staring at the other three empty seats, but Thea smiled broadly when she saw them and Felicity couldn't help but smile back.

"Sit here!" she said brightly and patted the chair next to her.

Felicity exchanged a small look with Oliver who shot his sister a warning glare that she pointedly ignored. She wasn't expecting him to pull the chair out for her, or to lean in and whisper "Good luck" in her ear, making her shiver.

She took a long drink of the orange juice that sat in front of her and then blushed when she noticed no one else had touched their food or drink yet as they had been waiting for everyone to be seated.

"Oh, god. Sorry." she said quickly and sat the heavy goblet down, managing to send a wave of juice over the edge to trickle slowly down the side.

"Don't worry about it. Roy snuck a piece of bacon when he didn't think I was looking." Thea said conspiratorially which resulted in Roy letting out a betrayed huff and Felicity giving her a grateful smile.

"Please eat. I know you all need to get to work." Moira said easily, placing a white napkin delicately in her lap.

Felicity decided to not make a move until Oliver did and managed to make it through taking her napkin off her plate and pouring a cup of coffee without incident before Thea let out an indelicate snort causing Oliver to pause with the pitcher of cream poised over Felicity's cup.

"Have something to say, Speedy?" he asked

"Just wondering how long you two have been doing that." she said with a nod towards their coffee.

"Doing what?" he asked, brows drawn together in true confusion.

"She just put the correct amount of sugar in your cup and you're about to pour the correct amount of cream into hers. Just an observation brother dear."

Felicity sat back in surprise, she hadn't realized they did that.

Oliver broke out of his temporary stupor and finished pouring the cream, making sure to lock his gaze on Thea as he did so. "Sometimes I pick up the coffee in the morning, sometimes she does. I don't think how I take my coffee is a state secret."

Thea narrowed her eyes and looked at them suspiciously. "Ok, I'll give you that." but there was a tone there that made Felicity sit up and take notice.

There was a bit of small talk. Moira asked some questions about an upcoming merger and Felicity was grateful for a topic that didn't make her feel like she was under a microscope. She still felt like Thea was studying her though.

"Well, I'm assuming you slept better since I didn't hear anything else the rest of the night." The younger girl said when there was a lull in the conversation. There was a slight upturn of her lips and Roy and Oliver both whipped their heads to look at her in surprise.

Felicity froze with her fork halfway to her mouth, appetite suddenly gone. For about five minutes she'd forgotten about Nate, and the hair dye, and being driven from her home, and waking up to creepy texts. She'd just been enjoying breakfast with Oliver and his family, even if it was a bit nerve wracking. Now her nightmare slammed back to her and her numb fingers let the fork fall to the plate with a clatter.

Oliver's hand clamped around her knee and rubbed small circles into the spot just below the hem of her dress as he practically growled at his sister, "Was that really necessary?"

"I'm sorry, she just seemed really upset earlier and she seems better now. And I still don't understand why mom put her all the way over there. You two are adults you...do adult things even if you don't want anyone to know. Which, I get. I mean, with your past Ollie, the whole CEO, secretary thing is practically an expected cliche and the press would eat it up with a spoon if they ever caught wind. But here. You shouldn't have to hide anything, that's all I was getting at." she calmly buttered a piece of toast and turned innocent eyes their way.

Felicity felt her face flame at Thea's implications and Oliver's hand stilled before slowly pulling away.

"We're not...that's...we're...friends. Just friends. And your brother was kind enough to let me stay here and provide the extra security. I can't say how much I appreciate it." she stammered out, wondering why Oliver wasn't saying anything, but not daring to look at him.

Thea looked surprised and genuinely contrite. "Sorry, I guess I just got the wrong impression then. I'm glad you're here, really."

There was a long moment of silence and Felicity had just cleared her throat and moved to pick up her fork when Oliver spoke. "What made you think that?"

She could tell how hard he was trying to keep his voice even, but there was a tightness there she recognized.

Felicity curled her fingers into the palm of her hand and turned her head slightly so she could see Thea who gave a little shrug as she addressed her brother. "Just, last night. You didn't have a shirt on and Felicity didn't exactly act like it was the first time she'd seen your scars. In fact they didn't' seem to phase her at all."

She felt Oliver freeze next to her, as time seemed to still and her brain went blank in pure panic. Never would she have ever thought they'd be found out because of that.

Oliver recovered first and for once had a lie that didn't sound completely ridiculous. "Just because Felicity knows about my scars doesn't mean we're in a relationship."

Thea considered his words and held up her hands in mock surrender, "Okay, I give up." she wiped her mouth and looked over at Roy, "Ready to go?" he practically leapt to his feet, anxious to get away from the uncomfortable meal.

"We're out. Sorry for the drama. And really, I am glad you're here. You seem like a nice, normal girl. You're obviously too good for my brother." she gave her mother a kiss, and breezed out with Roy on her heels leaving the rest of them to deal with the vacuum of her exit.

There was deafening silence as no one dared speak. Felicity had never been more glad to hear the scrape of chair legs on a floor than she was when Oliver stood abruptly and practically threw his napkin on the table. She was on her feet right behind him, and barely managed to stutter out a thank you to Moira before she was striding from the room, doing everything she could to out pace Oliver without breaking into a run. She didn't' think she could handle him touching her just then.

Oliver was already calling out for the maid as he entered the foyer, his deep voice booming around the large space. He took both their coats when the woman appeared almost instantly and helped Felicity into hers even though she tried to just take it from him. Digg was waiting by the door, sharp eyes noticing everything. When he caught her looking at him he silently asked if everything was okay since she and Oliver were being oddly quiet.

Her attention was drawn when Oliver handed her her bag and took her elbow as they left the house. When the door shut behind them he stopped and turned so quickly Digg had to neatly sidestep around them, pausing only long enough to notice Oliver was waiting for him to give them a moment of privacy.

"I'm sorry about Thea," he said, low, an undercurrent of anger running through him.

"It's okay, she doesn't know." she replied quickly, not sure where this conversation could be going and not knowing if it was the best time for it either. "Look, I know what it looks like. I hear the talk. It's nothing new, not since I was promoted. And coming to and from work with you now in your car probably isn't going to help that but...what other choice do we have. So let's just get to the lair so I can run these searches and try and figure out where he is so he can be caught and things can go back to normal." and before he could reply she spun on her heel and hurried down the steps, taking her phone from Digg's palm as he opened the car door for her.

By the time Oliver slid in next to her she was already pretending to be busy with something on her phone, and in actuality she was reviewing all the data mining hits she'd programed to send her alerts for the night before.

They arrived at the lair without incident, neither Oliver nor Digg pushing her to talk and when she was back in front of her computers she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

But it had been harder to concentrate than it should have been and took her twice the time to trace back the cell signal and find where the texts had been sent from. Even though she'd already known in her gut he'd sent them from her apartment the evidence staring back at her on the screen made her insides run cold.

She sat back and let her hands fall to her lap as Digg and Oliver came up to flank her. "It's not always a good feeling when you're right." she said in a weak voice. Oliver's hand clasped her shoulder and she was very glad for the contact as he squeezed it gently.

"We'll get him." Digg said, sounding more sure than she felt. "You want to call Lance and let him know or do you want me to?"

"I should. I don't want him getting suspicious of you knowing that I can do things like trace cell signals."

Feeling heavy and tired she rolled her chair back and slid her phone off the desk. "I can make the call in the car. We're already more than late as it is."

"Felicity, I told you, it's not important." the sincerity she saw in his eyes was almost more than enough to make her give up on the minute hold she had on her emotions just then.

"It's important to me. I feel guilty enough, I don't need you adding busted deals, and the wrath of Isabel Rochev to my list, okay." her eyes were beginning to water and she cursed herself for being so sensitive.

She tried to turn away but he grabbed her arm near her elbow and wouldn't let her go. "Hey. Stop. Right now, this is our mission, okay. Nothing else matters. You're too important to m...to the team." her breath caught as he paused and shook his head sharply, "No, you're too important to me. I'm not going to let you get hurt. And I'm not going to let you feel guilty. I will do whatever I have to do to make sure you're safe, and I need you to understand that." his eyes locked on hers, their ability to have silent, pleading conversations without words once again taking precedence and she became lost in swirling blue eyes that for a few brief moments betrayed everything to her.

His hand left her elbow and came to rest lightly against her cheek, making her breath catch as she stared at him. She was assaulted by images from that morning: sleeping in his bed, waking up in his arms, her clothes mixed with his, getting ready for work together. It was almost too much and yet she found herself wanting more and trying to reconcile both of those was leaving her feeling raw and ragged.

She took a deep centering breath and leaned into his touch, letting her eyes fall shut briefly as she allowed herself a moment. "Thank you," she whispered before she looked at him, surprised to see a shift in his eyes as well.

"Oliver…"

"Not now." but his tone was soft and she knew what he was saying. What was happening was important and it deserved their attention, but right then was not the time.

"Okay," she agreed, giving him a small smile as his fingers stroked over her cheek and fell down to her shoulder, thumb rubbing along her collarbone and sending small sparks of electricity down her spine.

Digg cleared his throat from the other side of the room and she jumped back, quickly grabbing her coat and bag while risking a glance at Oliver to see him shooting his partner a glare. Digg just looked on, face betraying nothing.

They were quiet in the car while she called Lance. He'd cursed under his breath when she told him where the texts had been made from and told her they'd put a car on her building that night, although she had a feeling Nate wouldn't be going back there.

As soon as she'd hung up with Lance, her phone rang and she saw Oliver's head turn sharply, not even hiding the fact that he was looking at the screen to see who it was. They both let out small sighs of relief when it turned out to be her mother.

"Felicity, how are you?" she asked immediately, her worry and concern more than obvious.

"I'm okay, Mom. Promise." Felicity replied, forcing her voice to sound more upbeat than she felt.

There was a long pause and a gnawing feeling began to claw at her gut, "Mom…"

"I went to see your aunt and uncle yesterday. They wouldn't take my calls and...I couldn't just sit here and do nothing."

"Oh Mom." she breathed out. The fallout in the family hadn't been that hard on Felicity, but she knew losing contact with the brother she'd always been close with had hurt her mother.

"Well, Diane almost wouldn't let me in the house, but I've always suspected she never liked our side of the family." the bitterness in her tone almost made Felicity crack a smile, she'd always known her mother and her aunt had harbored some animosity for each other.

"What did they say?" she prodded,

Her mother gave a dark laugh, "They said he was better. That he said he wanted to get away and have some alone time since he'd been in that place for so many years."

Felicity rubbed her fingers over her temple and sighed heavily, "He's not better. He's played them all."

"They didn't believe me when I told them he went to Starling City. They said he wanted to go to the beach and be by himself."

"Oh god, they helped him then, didn't they? That's how he got the plane ticket and the money he's been using." a warm hand wrapped around hers and squeezed gently, not letting go.

"They bought him an open ended ticket, and gave him a stack of gift cards that could be used as cash...He's been...Dan said he's been calling every day and telling them all about the resort he's at. I'm still not sure they believe that he came to see you."

"I'm sure they don't. They never believed me the first time, even after the police reports." Oliver held her hand tighter and she looked over to see him staring at her in concern.

"Did they say how he convinced the psychologist he was better? And convince a judge of the same?" she asked, still in disbelief that he could have appeared better when he had clearly been planning this for some time.

Her mother sighed before answering, "Diane got the lawyer to request the closed meeting but she wasn't in there with him. And I'm sure those records will be sealed."

"We'll see about that." Felicity muttered under her breath, now knowing what her next course of action was going to be. Nate must either be an exceptional actor or have something on one or more of the people involved with letting him go.

"Are you sure you're safe? You could come home for awhile. Maybe he wouldn't follow you." the break in her mom's voice was almost enough to make her agree, but the anchor of Oliver beside her let her know she wasn't running.

"I'm safe. I've got two of the strongest, bravest men I've ever met only feet from me right now. I'm probably the safest person in the city." She caught Digg's wry smile in the rearview mirror and chanced a glance at Oliver, not expecting him to look so protectively fierce. Her heart flipped and for a moment she didn't hear a word her mother said.

After promising her mother she'd call later that day she sat back and let herself sink into the plush leather seat, Oliver's hand still wrapped around hers, thumb rubbing comfortingly over her knuckles.

She filled them in on what her mother had told her, both of them agreeing there was more to Nate than anyone suspected. She hoped the court records would be online soon so she could hack into their database and read the notes from that meeting.

Their work day was blessedly busy. Meeting after meeting kept her distracted and even though she caught Oliver staring at her more than once she didn't mind.

There was a meeting with the department heads scheduled for four and then they'd be free to go. Oliver was finishing up a call that was running late before they'd make their way down the hall to the larger conference room. Her mind was fixated on the alerts she'd received and the background check she was going to run on the psychologist when security called to say they'd sent a courier up.

A few minutes later the elevator doors opened and the regular delivery guy stepped out, his arms full as he approached her desk. It was the service they used when making deliveries within the city and they needed papers moved during the business day. He smiled easily and dropped a package and a large envelope on her desk before he asked her to sign for them.

As she watched him leave she picked up the two items and saw the package was addressed to Oliver and the envelope to her. He was on the phone when she went in, leaving the box on the corner of his desk with a small smile. He lifted his free hand in a wave and she made her way back, standing in front of her desk as she ripped the tab off the envelope.

The only thing inside was a folded piece of paper. Her brows drew together in confusion as she opened it to see one word written in dark ink.

'Duck'

She flipped it over to see if she had missed anything and looked in the envelope again but it was empty. When she read the note a second time, cold pure panic filled her. It was Nate's handwriting.

Her eyes shot to the box she'd left on Oliver's desk and she was racing for the door before she could think.

He must have seen the fear on her face as she ran towards him. He was on his feet in an instant, the phone falling forgotten from his hand. Her mouth didn't want to work, but just as she reached his side and grabbed his arm she managed to get out "Bomb!"

Oliver didn't hesitate. They never stopped moving as his arm wrapped around her back and he directed her into the conference room adjacent to his office.

The last thing she'd remember was him yelling her name as he pulled her to his chest, tucking her head into him as he dove under the table.

There was an explosion of noise, followed by a wall of heat and then nothing but darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I have THE BEST readers/followers/reviewers. Thank you so much for the amazing response to the last chapter, even if it mostly to express your dissatisfaction for the evil cliffhanger. I do hope this chapter makes up for it, and I promise, no cliffie at the end of this one. :) **

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

_Previously on 'Times Like These'..._

_As she watched him leave she picked up the two items and saw the package was addressed to Oliver and the envelope to her. He was on the phone when she went in, leaving the box on the corner of his desk with a small smile. He lifted his free hand in a wave and she made her way back, standing in front of her desk as she ripped the tab off the envelope._

_The only thing inside was a folded piece of paper. Her brows drew together in confusion as she opened it to see one word written in dark ink._

_'Duck'_

_She flipped it over to see if she had missed anything and looked in the envelope again but it was empty. When she read the note a second time, cold pure panic filled her. It was Nate's handwriting._

_Her eyes shot to the box she'd left on Oliver's desk and she was racing for the door before she could think._

_He must have seen the fear on her face as she ran towards him. He was on his feet in an instant, the phone falling forgotten from his hand. Her mouth didn't want to work, but just as she reached his side and grabbed his arm she managed to get out "Bomb!"_

_Oliver didn't hesitate. They never stopped moving as his arm wrapped around her back and he directed her into the conference room adjacent to his office._

_The last thing she'd remember was him yelling her name as he pulled her to his chest, tucking her head into him as he dove under the table._

_There was an explosion of noise, followed by a wall of heat and then nothing but darkness._

The smell of smoke, a blinding pain, and the inability to draw a full breath is what finally pulled her from the black. At first she couldn't see anything, her body felt like it was trapped and a moment of claustrophobia made her try and push back and find any sort of space. But she couldn't move and her attempt had made a band of fire flare across her side.

With a groan she moved her head slightly and realized the darkness she could see was the shoulder of Oliver's suit jacket. In a rush everything came back to her and she remembered the note and the package and Oliver's arms wrapping around her before it all exploded.

Her ears were ringing and there was a haze in the space around them. She couldn't see far, Oliver blocked almost her entire field of vision but what she could see looked to be what remained of the conference room on top of them.

As her head cleared some she realized Oliver hadn't moved and it was his body that was pinning her down. His arms were wrapped around her, one banded about her back, the other had laid over her head but was now heavy across her middle, and it was limp.

With effort she brought up the one arm that wasn't caught under her and felt his tie under her fingers. His face was pressed into her neck and there wasn't enough room for her to see him properly. A whine of panic began to fill her at the idea that he could be seriously injured. She moved her hand north as far as she could, fingers just scrabbling along his jaw as she touched his stubble. Biting her lip she reached higher, trying to ignore how much it hurt to stretch her arm until she could feel along his face and up to his temple. The hot slick wetness she encountered made her stomach drop.

Tears pricked her eyes and her hand fell to his throat searching frantically for a pulse. It was strong if a little fast and she let out a gasping sob that caused her to cough violently as her lungs took in too much smoke.

White spots filled her vision at the pain the coughing drew from her ribs. She didn't know if they were bruised or broken or if she had any other injuries. Her right arm was trapped under Oliver and her legs were numb as he lay completely on top of her.

"Oliver!" she called, but her voice was weak and shaky and she could barely make it out herself. She tried pressing on his shoulder and pushing to see if she could move him but he didn't shift. Desperation filled her and she tried again gritting her teeth and blocking the pain as she pushed as hard as she could but only managed to rock him back an inch before her hand slipped and he settled back where he had been.

She was left panting and exhausted, her head throbbing and the feeling that she couldn't draw a full breath of air. She let her head rest against his as her eyes grew heavy. Her hand fisted in the material of his shirt as she concentrated on just taking one breath after another.

Then there was a noise and a small patch of light just beyond Oliver's shoulder.

"Oliver! Felicity!" called Digg's familiar voice and if she hadn't almost been unconscious she would have sobbed in relief. As her vision continued to fade and she lost the battle to stay awake her last thought was she hoped they lived and she hadn't gotten Oliver killed.

A wracking coughing fit that left her breathless and in agony is what brought her back. Warm hands settled on her shoulders and pushed her down on something soft as she waited out the pain.

"Take a breath, Felicity." it was Digg and he was close. She did as he said, groaning because it hurt but his quiet hum of approval let her know it was good. "Now take another." he directed and she obeyed again.

The second time it was down to a dull ache and after a third she tried opening her eyes. She was on the ground, Digg kneeling next to her with his shirtsleeves rolled up, soot and dust clinging to him and a few scrapes and cuts across his face. He gave her a smile and grabbed her hand waiting as she blinked slowly and tried to make sense of what had happened.

He had an oxygen mask poised above her and placed it over her face, giving her an encouraging nod to keep breathing while he talked. As the cool air flowed into her nose she took as deep a breath as she dared and locked her eyes on his.

"There was an explosion." he said evenly and she nodded minutely, the throbbing in her head not letting her do much more. She raised a weak hand and wrapped it around his wrist to pull the mask away slightly.

"Nate," she rasped out, a tear leaking from the corner of her eye that he caught before it could reach her hair.

His eyes darkened at the name, but he gave a swift jerk of his chin, "Yeah, it was him."

"How bad?" she asked and then memories slammed into her and she remembered, "Oliver! Where's Oliver!" she cried and tried to sit up but Digg pushed her down again and put the mask aside.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she recalled his prone form laying protectively above her and the wound she'd been able to feel on his head.

"Hey, settle down. The paramedics are looking at him now, but I think he's going to be fine." he assured her, but her heart was pounding relentlessly in her chest and she knew she wouldn't feel better until she'd seen him.

"The damage was mostly limited to your offices and the conference room. The table had collapsed on top of you along with half a wall which is why it took a little bit of time to get you out."

"Digg, please. I need to see him." she pleaded, everything in her screaming to know whether he was alright or not. Her own injuries were forgotten, the damage to her ribs had faded to a dullness she barely noticed. But he shook his head and gave her a sympathetic look.

"You'll see him soon enough."

She had just opened her mouth to argue with him again when there was a roar from behind her and she heard Oliver yelling her name.

Before Digg could stop her she sat up with a gasp and tried to twist to see Oliver but she cried out in pain and would have tipped over if Digg hadn't caught her. He gave a long suffering sigh and reached behind her, dragging something heavy and warm up around her shoulders that she had been laying on and when she dropped her head to clear away the spots that had appeared she realized it was his suit jacket.

"If you insist on doing this at least let me help you."

She tried to pull herself to her feet with his help, but her legs felt like rubber and there was a new pain she hadn't felt before that streaked down her left thigh. Leaning heavily on Digg she could turn her head and finally see Oliver.

He was half laying, half sitting on a stretcher with two medics trying to get him to lay down. She watched as he shrugged one off and swayed as the other pushed ineffectively on his chest. He growled her name again and before she could think she tore away from Digg and stumbled across the room towards him.

He caught sight of her just as she called his name and only had enough time to open his arms as she crashed into him.

The desperate knot of need she didn't know she had loosened some. To touch him and be near him and know that he was alive was all she'd been looking for and now with his arms holding her so tight it stung and her head pressed perfectly under his chin she felt whole again.

He had one hand buried in her hair and the other wrapped so far around her waist his fingers gripped her hip bone, the material of the suit jacket bunching under his hand. She felt him let out a long shuddering sigh as she tried not to cry into his throat in an attempt to avoid antagonizing her already irritated lungs.

With her arms encircling his neck her fingers began a steady draw through his hair in a rhythm they both seemed to need. She was pressed as tight to him as she could be with the hard side of a gurney in her way, but she didn't notice.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled into him, "I'm so sorry,"

He shushed her, his warm breath right in her ear as his lips brushed the shell as he talked. "It's not your fault."

She nodded erratically, swallowing past the lump in her throat, "It is. It's because of me. You wouldn't have gotten hurt if it wasn't for me."

He pulled back and took her face in his hands, his gaze catching hers and holding it even though she was looking at him through tears. "This is not your fault," he said fiercely, "You did not do this."

Her eyes roamed his face as she took in the bandage on his right temple and the cuts and bruises she could already see forming. Trembling fingers traced the white patch of gauze and over the shallow cut on his eyebrow before she let them trail over his cheek to his mouth where she ran her thumb over his bottom lip ever so lightly. "You were hurt." she repeated at a whisper,

His hand slid to the back of her neck and tugged her forward until their foreheads were pressing together. "I've had worse." he reminded her and her eyes fell shut as she tried to block out past memories of him being hurt.

"But this was because of me," she repeated, the guilt that her past had brought this on them was something she couldn't shake. His thumbs wiped tears off her cheeks and his eyes fell shut, but not before she saw a cloud of anger and regret filter through them.

"I'm going to stop him, and he's never going to hurt you again." his voice was so low only she could hear and the way he said it was like a vow. He pressed a hard kiss to her temple that made her breath catch, sending a stab of pain through her side. She couldn't hide the way her body stiffened or the small cry that came from her throat.

Her hands fell from his face to rest against his shirt. She stared at the buttons as she tried to will the pain to stop and absently realized his tie and jacket were gone.

"What is it? Are you hurt?" he asked quickly and she had to suppress a dark laugh because how could they have gotten through that and not have been hurt.

She shook her head once, "Just my ribs, I think." one broad hand slid beneath the jacket and splayed lightly across her side. Air hissed through her teeth at the contact but it wasn't due to pain.

"You think?" he asked, indignant. "Haven't you been treated?" his head shot up and for the first time since she'd rushed to his side he looked around.

Digg must have not been far away because he was at their side in an instant. "Mild smoke inhalation, mild concussion, two broken or bruised ribs, and a gash on her thigh that probably needs a few stitches, not to mention a lot of cuts and bruises." he ran through the list of her injuries and suddenly the ache in her leg made sense.

She was moved back a few inches as Oliver slid forward and dropped to the floor, never breaking his contact with her. Her fingers gripped his shirt and she saw Digg's hand shoot out in case he lost his balance but he didn't even wobble.

"You probably shouldn't be doing that. The table was laying across your legs, they were worried one might be broken." Digg warned him and Oliver brushed it off,

"My legs aren't broken." he said dismissively, his eyes on her again as he seemed to be cataloging every tiny scrape she had. When his hand fell from her side and trailed down her thigh she made a startled noise as he leaned over and tugged up the hem of her dress.

"She needs stitches." Oliver said darkly, and turned to one of the medics who didn't seem willing to approach them right then. "Why hasn't she been treated?" he demanded

"Hey man, we were getting there. You were both unconscious and she had barely been awake when you started doing your best grizzly bear impression and growling her name. After that she hasn't left your side."

Felicity ducked her head at the implications she could hear in Digg's voice and tried not to shiver as Oliver straightened up, completely unaware of how his hand trailed up her thigh and came to rest again at her hip, the heat from his touch making her flush even in her injured state.

"What the hell happened? How did it get into the building?" Oliver asked sharply,

Her head went light as a cold sweat broke across her skin. It was all her fault.

She must have made a noise or swayed because the next thing she knew she was sitting on the stretcher that had been behind Oliver with his hands holding her face telling her to focus on him.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out through tears. "I told security to send up the courier. I didn't...I didn't know. It was the regular guy." she choked on her words and shut her eyes tight. "Oh god, what if I hadn't opened the letter. The bomb would have gone off and you wouldn't have…" she felt sick at the thought of what would have happened to him if it had exploded on his desk with him sitting right there.

She felt her body being turned and hands pressing her to lay back on to the half raised stretcher. Oliver's voice was in her ear again, "This is not your fault. You can't think like that."

"Felicity, that courier service has been vetted, that's why we use them. But I think there will be new procedures in place from now on." Digg said, but she barely heard him.

She concentrated on his presence and the hand that was wrapped around hers as she tried to calm her churning stomach.

His lips brushed her forehead and over one of her eyelids before she blinked open wide eyes, "Oliver…" she said breathlessly, unable to read the expression in his darker than usual eyes.

"Later," he whispered and all she could do was nod.

A medic hovered on the other side of the stretcher next to Digg, holding what she recognized as a suture kit in his hands.

"Oliver, let her get fixed up." Digg said evenly, as if he wasn't sure how Oliver would respond to being told to back off.

By the way his head shot up and turned to glare at his partner it appeared as if Digg had been right. But he didn't blink, he just matched Oliver's look with one of his own and then played his trump card. "Your mother has been waiting to see you for the past ten minutes." he nodded his head back behind them and Oliver pivoted on the spot. Just over his shoulder she could see the worried face of Moira Queen as she stood only feet away.

Felicity let her head fall back with a groan of embarrassment. She was just then realizing how close she and Oliver had been and Moira had seen everything.

But he didn't seem phased at all. He held up one finger to his mother and turned back, his attention fully on her once again.

"Oliver, I'll be fine. Let them finish up so we can get out of here."

He sighed heavily, the internal battle he was struggling with was apparent in his expression. Once more his lips were warm against her skin and then he was squeezing her hand and stepping back. "I'll be close."

Her eyes followed him as he limped heavily to where his mother stood. She bit her lip in concern at how injured he really was, for him to show any sign of weakness meant it was worse than he was letting on.

She wanted to keep him in sight but just then Detective Lance hurried into the room and after casting a quick look around came directly to her side.

The distraction ended up being welcome as it kept her from paying attention as her leg was cleaned and injected with a numbing medication that stung so fiercely she grasped Lance's hand without thought as she hissed through her teeth and waited for it to dissipate. She could tell the medic was nervous and kept shooting worried glances towards Oliver who she had a feeling was leveling him with one of his glares.

Between her and Digg they filled Lance in on what happened. She hadn't realized it had taken almost twenty minutes to pull them from the debris and the knowledge made her heart drop.

"There was a note." she said, dead voiced, the strain and stress beginning to catch up with her.

"On the bomb?" Lance asked, confused

"No. He sent me a separate note. I suppose it's been burned by now…"she trailed off as a shudder ran through her, making her wince and wrap a hand around her side.

"What did the note say, Ms. Smoak?" Lance's voice was gentle, as if he could tell how close to the edge she was.

"All it said was 'Duck'. The bomb was meant for Oliver, not for me."

"He sees him as an obstacle to getting to you. He's the reason you're no longer in your apartment. He's the reason he can't get in this building. He's the reason he can't get near you." Lance explained and again the ball of acid in her gut grew until all she could do was lay there and take breaths through her nose as she prayed she wouldn't get sick.

Lance hadn't meant to add to the guilt that was about to take her under but his words cut deep and she felt like what little air in her lungs had vanished.

Then there was a warm hand on her face, and one over her busted ribs, providing some counter pressure as her chest heaved. "Felicity, listen to me. You have to calm down, you're only going to hurt yourself." Oliver was there and she grabbed his wrist desperately to give her something to hold on to before she flew apart. "Slow your breaths. You have enough air."

She tried to do as he said, but then she remembered sitting the package on his desk and the panic filled her again. The oxygen mask was placed over her face again but she tried to shake it off, the feel of it on her too constricting.

Her arm was pulled down and she tried to fight it but hands were on her shoulders. "They're going to give you something for the pain, and it should settle you down some too." Digg said from her other side. Her eyes flew open and she tried to protest and tell them she didn't want anything but white lights burst in her vision as she twisted the wrong way, and then there was a small prick in her arm.

Oliver was all she could see, his hand brushed loose hair from her face and cupped her cheek. "It's okay, it'll help. It won't knock you out all the way." he promised her and that more than anything made her relax back into the stretcher and focus on slowing her breaths.

The three men surrounding her began to relax as well. A warmth filled her veins and the pain faded away as her racing heart settled.

Digg and Lance stepped back to talk and the medic came forward to finish putting the bandage on her leg, but Oliver never left.

"Is your mom still here?" she asked, trying to look around him, but finding it difficult to focus her eyes.

"No, she went back to the house."

The thought of the mansion and Oliver's bed made her smile. She needed that. She wanted to forget about Nate and the bomb and everything he'd done.

Oliver's fingers trailed over her cheek and she turned into his touch with a happy hum. "What's the smile for?" he asked, voice low and throaty, and she didn't think it had anything to do with the smoke he'd inhaled.

"Just thinking about your bed, and sleeping, and...it's nice, I like it." she knew the words were coming out wrong but the intent was there and if the slightly strangled noise she heard him make was any indication he understood what she meant.

"It is nice." he agreed, shifting to put his weight on his good leg but not able to hide a wince.

"Oliver, your leg."

"It's not that bad."

"I don't believe you." it was getting harder to keep her eyes open and she let them shut for a minute as Digg and Lance returned. She heard them talking about getting statements the next day and how the bomb squad would be investigating the device, but she just listened.

"I think it's okay for you to get out of here, unless you need transport to the hospital." Lance said

"No, I think we're fine." Oliver replied and she did made an agreeing noise at that. She didn't want to go to the hospital.

"I'll be by tomorrow then. Get some rest, kid." Lance gripped her arm tight for a minute and then he disappeared.

Her head was becoming more and more light until she felt like she was floating, except when she cracked open her eyes she realized she wasn't floating at all. Instead, Digg was carrying her as Oliver limped beside them.

She didn't recognize the floor they were on, and she didn't know how they'd been moved from their offices to wherever the triage had been set up.

After that her memories were hazy. She remembered the swooping in her stomach as they rode down in the elevator. She remembered leaning against Oliver in the back of the car, his hand stroking over her head the entire drive. She remembered being carried up the steps of the Queen mansion again and Oliver and Digg stepping out while one of the maids helped her change. She remembered the shirt being slipped over her head not belonging to her and not caring as she slid beneath the covers.

In her half awake half drugged state she was only somewhat aware as Oliver entered the room. There was the sound of the shower running and him walking to the closet and her eyes fluttered open as she felt him ease onto the mattress. Her wore nothing but a pair of boxer briefs and as her eyes dropped to take in the sight she saw the long line of bruising beginning to form along his upper thigh.

"Oliver!" she gasped and tried to push herself up on her elbow but immediately regretted it.

He ignored where she was looking and pulled the covers up, "Hey, it'll be fine." But she knew that him willingly getting into bed and attempting to rest meant he was hurt bad enough to put a normal person in the hospital.

Her eyes swam with tears and he didn't hesitate to pull her to him gently, waiting for her to relax into his side before he draped his palm over her injured ribs. "It'll be fine." he repeated, "Get some rest."

With a stuttered sigh she laid her head on his chest and let his warmth and presence lull her to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Again, you continue to be the best! Thank you so so much for loving this story so much. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Felicity never leaves Oliver's room, and it might just one of my favorite parts. And not because of ****_that._**

**Let me know what you think!**

Once again pain woke her. There were stuttered words, and sure hands, two pills pressed through her lips followed by cool water and the order to swallow. Slowly the burning ache eased from her side and the rest of her body where new bruises were making themselves known.

As the tension left her she opened up her eyes to see Oliver sitting next to her, worry etched all over his face. She reached up slowly to try and touch his jaw but she couldn't quite make it. He leaned down and met her hand and she smiled, lightly running her nails over the stubble like she'd done when they were trapped. "I was scared," the words tumbled from her, she hadn't meant to say anything but she couldn't take it back now.

When his brows drew together she knew he didn't fully understand and she licked her lips before she started again. "I came to while we were stuck. You were...passed out and bleeding and I couldn't move you. I couldn't breathe, and I didn't know if anyone was coming. But mostly I was terrified that you weren't going to make it."

He was silent as he stroked his thumb over her cheekbone, staring at her so intently she was sure he could see inside her. There was a light pressure as he leaned into her touch and turned his head, lips just brushing over her palm and she was reminded of earlier when he'd kissed her head more than once.

Now she felt like she couldn't breathe for a different reason, "Oliver...what's happening?"

His hand came up to clasp hers and draw it down between them, "I don't know but...I don't think I can stop it." she heard and saw so much in him just then. Hope, and guilt, and relief all mixed with a heavy uncertainty as he tried to justify allowing himself to take this chance.

"I don't want it to stop." she answered as his eyes fell shut and his shoulders slumped forward as if in defeat. She tightened the grip she had on their joined hands until he looked at her, completely open, soul laid bare for her to do with as she pleased.

The drugs were beginning to pull her under again but she couldn't leave him like that. She tugged his hand and when he began to lie down next to her she opened her arm and gave him a look she hoped he understood. "Rest," she said simply.

He lay on his side and shifted down until his head was pressed above her breast. "You won't hurt me." she whispered as she began to draw her fingers through his hair. He stiffened for a moment because her words weren't meant for just then. "You won't hurt me." she repeated, and kept stroking his head until muscle by muscle he relaxed into her.

One arm stretched out across her middle and he pulled himself flush against her, hand covering her ribs like he could some how heal them through touch alone. She curled her hips and legs towards him, ignoring the slight pull over her side. His breath was evening out and the last thing she remembered was pressing kisses into his hair as he slept.

When she woke up several hours later to find Oliver hadn't moved and was still sound asleep she knew she'd done the right thing by making him rest instead of having a conversation that she wasn't even sure they needed to have.

She laid there until her bladder protested and after shifting a bit and not being left breathless from pain, decided she could try and make it to the bathroom.

Extracting herself from Oliver proved difficult, and she fully expected him to wake up, but after she'd eased herself out from under his head and slid his arm off her waist he merely rolled to his back and let out a light snore.

Walking to the bathroom was painful but it felt good to get up and move. She had more twinges and bruises than she had been aware of and she felt a bit wobbly on her legs but she made it successfully without any problems.

The reflection in the mirror made her groan and she knew immediately she needed a shower. She lost track of time as she stood under the hot spray and let it find every single cut and scrape on her body. She'd left the bandage on her thigh but knew it would need to be changed when she got out. She welcomed the sting, and the hot water eased some of the aches out of her muscles. Washing her hair with one hand proved difficult as she couldn't lift her left arm over head due to her ribs. A sudden and vivid thought of Oliver helping her wash her hair went through her head and she had to bite her lip to keep her involuntary reaction to herself.

When she was finished she was clean but tired and shaky. Wrapped in a towel she left the borrowed t-shirt on the counter, looking at it with regret but it smelled like smoke from her hair and she couldn't bear to put it back on.

Oliver hadn't moved when she padded back across the room and slipped into the closet. She had a set of pajamas in her hands when her fingers skimmed over one of his dress shirts and a smile crossed her lips.

Rationalizing that she didn't want anything on her injured leg and none of her shirts were long enough to be worn alone she put the pajamas back and stepped into a new pair of underwear before she slid the button down off the hanger and over her arms, not giving herself a chance to second guess her decision.

She had just finished putting a new bandage on her leg and tying her hair back when there was a soft knock on the main door. Felicity limped out of the closet to see Moira Queen quietly entering.

Her mouth went dry and she froze halfway between the bed and the door where Moira was closing it gently behind her. Felicity shot a look towards Oliver, but he still slept silently which actually worried her since his ninja like senses never seemed to shut down.

Hands twisting in the too long shirt sleeves she gritted her teeth and mentally knocked herself for indulging in Oliver's shirt as she hobbled towards Moira.

"Mrs. Queen…"

"How are you dear? How's Oliver? I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you earlier but you didn't seem well at all." her voice was kind and gentle and most of all entirely genuine. There was no trace of the hard nosed, serious woman who she'd seen in the board room or going up against the likes of Isabel Rochev, or had told her the Green Room had been opened for Felicity to sleep in. She just sounded like a mother who was worried about her son.

"I'm...I'm okay. Oliver's sleeping, I think he feels worse than he lets on, but he's always like that, trying to make it seem like nothing bothers him but really it…" she trailed off as she realized who she was talking to.

"You know my son well. Maybe better than anyone." it was an observation and it made Felicity freeze.

"I like to think so, yes."

Moira's eyes drifted back to the bed and softened, "I came in here earlier, but you were both sleeping." Felicity felt her cheeks go red at the thought of what she'd seen, "He trusts you."

The statement made her heart stop in her chest as Moira looked back at her, "You see the real Oliver. The one even I have a hard time seeing sometimes. He needs you very much." her hand dropped to lay on Felicity's arm and she gave her a small smile.

"I need him too." she admitted quietly, "I hate that people don't see how he's changed and the good he's doing. He's really turning the company around and…" she wished she could talk about all the other good Oliver was doing in his other suit, but she couldn't so she rushed ahead. "I'm just sorry it's my fault he got hurt. If anything worse had happened to him because of me...I don't think I could have lived with myself." she'd lowered her eyes to hide the tears she couldn't control.

"This wasn't your fault. This was the actions of a mad man. Take it from someone who knows a thing about being responsible for others being hurt."

Felicity's stomach dropped as she realized she'd made Moira think of the Glades and everything associated with it.

"Oh god, I'm...I didn't mean to…" but she was cut off as Moira raised a hand in front of her.

"Please, Felicity, is it okay if I call you that?" Felicity just nodded her consent, "I came to peace with those demons long ago. At least to a peace I can live with. But I will tell you that there is no point in burdening yourself or those around you with guilt that does not belong to you. And I think my son would say the same thing."

"He already has," she choked out through a throat thick with emotion.

"Because he loves you."

Felicity's eyes went wide at her words,

"And you love him."

Her initial response was to sputter out some sort of denial but all she could do was nod her head. "I do," she whispered.

"I saw you two at the office and I overheard Detective Lance talking to Mr. Diggle. You knew there was a bomb in that package and you ran towards it to save Oliver. He kept you under him while the table and the walls fell on top of him instead of you." she slid her hand down until she could grasp Felicity's fingers in her own, "I'm very sorry I ever doubted your relationship with my son. Whatever it is it's clearly very special, and I promise not to interfere in any way."

Felicity could only stare at her, shocked at what she'd said. Moira took pity on her and after squeezing her hand once more stepped back towards the door. "Goodnight," she said simply and exited, leaving Felicity standing there unable to process what had just happened.

It took a few minutes before she could get her numb legs to work. As she blindly, and unsteadily made her way back to the bed, Moira's words tumbled through her head over and over again.

"he loves you. you love him."

And the knowledge that she'd agreed and then received his mother's blessing left her wondering what had happened. By the time she hit the edge of the mattress on what she was now coming to think of as her side she climbed in with no reservation. Two days earlier the mere idea of being in his bed had left her frozen and unsure.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that it took far too long for her to realize Oliver was awake and staring at her.

She'd just laid her head on the pillow and rolled on her right to take the pressure off her ribs when she saw him.

"Oh! You're awake." she said, higher and louder than she intended,

He was looking at her with an expression she'd never seen before and her stomach began to swirl, "How long have you been awake?" she asked, time seeming to halt before he answered.

"Long enough," he sounded rough and gravely and now her stomach swirled in an entirely different way.

"How do you feel?" she deflected, biting her lip as she winced at how obvious she was. His eyes narrowed and she knew he saw right through her.

"Why would you run towards a bomb?" there was a glint of anger in his eyes and his jaw had tightened to the point she could see a muscle twitching. She wanted to reach out and stroke it until it stopped.

She knew he was upset with her for risking her life. For putting his safety above her own. She knew the guilt he carried over others dying for him or in his place and she'd never intended to add to that burden.

"I wasn't running towards a bomb." she countered and saw him open his mouth as his eyes flashed in protest but she laid one finger over his lips to silence him.

"I was running towards you."

His eyes slammed shut at her words and she felt as all the air left his lungs.

"Felicity…" her name sounded like it was ground from him, "You can't just…"

"What? Risk my life for yours? Why not? You do it all the time." he looked truly upset with her, but she didn't stop. "Oliver, it wasn't something I thought about. I saw the note, I realized that the package I had just left on your desk was a bomb and I reacted. Did you really think I was going to run the other way? Is that what you would have done?"

"No! Of course not, but…"

"But what? Is my life more valuable than yours? Than Digg's? Just because you can wield a bow and arrow and have very impressive skills doesn't mean you're superhuman. If that bomb had exploded with you sitting there...you'd be dead. So don't expect me to apologize for trying to save you." her pulse was thudding in her ears and she fought the urge to sit up and put distance between them. But he hadn't moved, so she wasn't going to either.

His eyes locked on hers, "You can't get hurt because of me. You're not supposed to get hurt. I couldn't…" his words choked off as he looked away and she closed the distance between them by laying her hand along his cheek.

"How do you think I feel right now, knowing that bomb would have never been there if it wasn't for me. Nate sent that to you because of me. Our offices were destroyed, thousands of dollars worth of damage done, because of me. Not everything is your fault, Oliver Queen. And if you had been hurt worse, or…" she stopped because she couldn't finish the sentence, "I couldn't either, okay."

"And while we're on the subject you're the one who used their body as a human shield to protect me from flying conference tables, and falling walls. Did you think before you did that?"

"There was no time to think. I just…" he cut himself off and gave her a look as he realized he was about to say the same thing she'd said.

"You just reacted." she finished anyways with a small smile.

He sighed heavily and trailed a hand over her brow and down over the side of her cheek until his fingers slid back behind her ear. "This is dangerous."

She knew immediately he was talking about them being together and everything it could bring with it.

"I know,"

"We could compromise everything." but his fingers didn't stop drawing circles along the nape of her neck, making small tingles of electricity shoot down her spine.

"I know,"

"I could lose you." he sounded so bereft, and so alone she just wanted to wrap her arms around him again and hold him.

"Never," she breathed out, the conviction in her voice making his eyes stutter shut.

Before she could lose her nerve she did the only thing that made sense and leaned in, pressing her lips to his.

His lips were cool and a bit dry and she knew she'd taken him by surprise because he startled back just a bit, but it didn't take him long to recover, and soon enough the hand on her neck was pulling her closer as his mouth now slanted over hers to deepen the kiss.

She moaned into him as his lips moved over hers, swirls of heat and electricity flowing over her leaving everything numb as her world narrowed down to just this kiss.

Her fingers threaded through the short strands of hair at the back of his head and tugged, making a low growl emit from his throat as his tongue traced the seam of her lips and she opened readily. When their tongues touched she arched into him and immediately pulled back in pain, gasping out as a hot band wrapped itself around her side and took her breath away.

Oliver stroked a hand over her head until the pain faded and then laid purposely on his back, letting her know their little make out session was over. With a sigh he guided her down until she was resting against his chest and she settled into him with a slightly disappointed sigh.

His fingers played with the collar of the borrowed shirt and she felt her cheeks warm for a second. "The other one smelled all smoky and I didn't really want pants over my stitches…" she trailed off as the pad of one calloused finger slipped off the fabric to graze the hollow of her throat and up her neck before following her jawline.

"It's fine," he murmured, "Looks better on you anyways."

Images flashed through her mind of all the ways that man could wear a dress shirt and she was fairly certain he was wrong with that assessment but she wouldn't argue the point just then.

She pressed one open mouthed kiss just below his Bratva tattoo and smiled into his skin when his hand tightened on her hip and her name came from him as a low warning.

"Am I not allowed to do this now? Are there rules?" she teased and delighted in the irritated grumble that she felt in his chest,

"There aren't any rules." he bit out, "But I'd like your ribs to heal before I find out if we're going to need any."

Molten heat erupted in her center and she knew her gulp was audible.

"Oh," she breathed out and complied quickly by laying her head down so her lips weren't touching him.

They lay in the quiet, the steady thrum of his heart under her ear something she decided right then she want to fall asleep to every night. Her fingers traced meaningless patterns over his chest, not avoiding the scars as he stroked a hand up her arm and through her hair over and over again.

"How much did you hear?" she asked, finally drawing enough courage to ask the question she was certain she already knew the answer to.

His fingers stilled for a second and then resumed their track. "All of it," he admitted.

"Good," she said quietly and got a wicked grin on her face he couldn't see. She turned her head and pressed up as far as her ribs would allow and placed a slow, wet kiss just to the underside of his jaw that ended with her nipping the flesh lightly before soothing it over with her tongue.

"I thought we talked about this," he said through gritted teeth and she could hear how his heart rate had increased when she laid her head back down with a satisfied smile.

"We did, but then you told me you heard everything. So I get to do that whenever I want and to hell with the rules."

"That's going to work both ways, you know." his voice was smooth as glass and a shiver of anticipation and want went through her.

"I'm counting on it." she threw back,

"Sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"Okay," she agreed and smiled as she felt him press a kiss into her hair.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: You guys! You're fantastic! I love you all, thanks for once again being so awesome over the last chapter. The dynamic between Felicity and Moira is one I've never explored before and I'm so glad you seemed to like it. **

**I also just want to remind everyone I gave you two chapters in a row with no cliffhanger. Two. **

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

She slept deep and long and when she woke she was starving and sore but no longer felt like every single move she made would result in pain.

She also woke to an empty bed and sat up carefully, looking around and finding a quiet room. Brow furrowed she made her way to the bathroom to also find it empty and the closet as well.

Apprehension and a bit of self doubt was starting to creep in when the door opened and Oliver and Digg walked in. Well, Digg walked in, mouth turned down in a scowl as he carried a tray and Oliver limped in leaning heavily on a cane.

Her mouth must have dropped open in shock when she saw him and he lifted the cane with a flourish.

"Digg's letting me borrow it."

She tramped down her concern and worry since he was obviously trying to keep things light. "We'll just have to get you a monocle and a top hat so you can complete the true billionaire look."

Digg snorted at that and sat the tray down on the table in front of the couch. "Apparently I carry trays now too." he said acerbically and it was her turn to laugh.

Her stomach growled in anticipation and she wasted no time in pouring them coffee. "Sit," she ordered and watched out the corner of her eye as Oliver carefully eased himself down onto the couch cushions, not missing how his breath caught or how he had to pause for a moment before he sat all the way. She didn't say anything though because she knew he wouldn't want her to.

When she leaned forward to hand Digg his cup she stretched too far, resulting in her taking a hissing breath between her teeth and Digg having to lurch to his feet and grab the cup before it spilled.

Both he and Oliver were silent until she settled back with a pastry and a cup of her own balanced precariously in her lap.

"You two are the literal walking wounded." Digg observed, but she saw the crease of disquiet between his eyes.

"At least we're walking," Oliver returned and Digg tipped the cup his direction in a silent salute.

"I assume we're not going to the office today since...there's no office." she said, and felt the heat of Oliver's gaze on her.

"You should stay in bed and rest."

"Is that what you plan to do?" she countered, knowing the answer was no.

His head tilted to the side and she gave him one lifted eyebrow in return.

"I have a present for you." Digg said, breaking the staring contest she'd been having with Oliver,

He got up so she wouldn't have to reach and laid a phone in her hand. "Your old one is…"

"Melted into nothing or crushed I'd assume." she said in a tight voice as she thumbed on the device and saw all her settings had been transferred over like nothing had happened. "Thanks,"

She had a huge list of emails to go through and when she saw five new text messages she felt the blood drain from her face.

"I checked, they're not from him." Digg said softly

"Oh...good." Oliver's hand covered her knee and gave it a squeeze.

The texts were from her mother and her shoulders sagged when she saw them. "My mom...she heard the news...couldn't get hold of me. I hate how worried this is making her." she said with a shake of her head as she wrote back a quick, falsely peppy reply along with a promise to call when she could. The bomb was actually the best excuse to claim she was too busy with work right then to talk. She felt Oliver's stare on her, but didn't look up, knowing she'd see a look on his face she didn't want to see just then.

Her email folder was also full and she flipped through them quickly only stopping when she saw one from Lance. It was a list of everything that had been used to build the bomb.

"If we're not going to our day job I'd like to go to our night job." she said, holding her phone up, "Lance forwarded me a list from the bomb investigation. It's everything that was used to put it together. I could probably trace some of the items, see where they were purchased, if there was anyway to figure out a pattern for payment. It could help narrow down where he is. He doesn't know the city well, he'd probably stay in one area."

Oliver nodded tightly, "We'll also need to stop by the police station." he reminded her, and then exchanged a look with Digg. "And I have to give a press conference this afternoon."

"A press conference? Why?" she sputtered out before she could think it through,

He let out a long sigh and scrubbed his hand over his forehead before he spoke, "It looks like someone leaked that the package was sent to me directly and that it wasn't a random attack on QC."

Felicity's hand flew to cover her mouth in horror.

"Hey, they don't know why. Your name hasn't come up and I intend to keep it that way. My mother and Digg have been running damage control, and Lance has kept things quiet on his end. So right now the only thing the press knows is there was an attempt on my life. I'll stand outside QC, make a few comments, make sure everyone can see that I'm fine and the investors will all be happy."

She let out a disgusted noise, "Yes, because ensuring the stock prices don't dip too far is much more important than whether you're alive or not."

"It's business."

"I know, it doesn't mean I have to like it." she groused, taking an angry bite of her pastry and pulling up the feeds she used to keep track of Oliver in the press. She was bombarded by images of the blown out office windows and emergency vehicles parked around the building the day before. There were already two separate vines being reblogged ad nauseum that had been taken as the bomb had exploded sending smoke and debris to fall forty stories to the streets below.

Headlines were talking about an 'assassination attempt' and she felt her stomach drop as she read through a woefully inaccurate article that claimed Oliver had been so severely injured he'd had to be sent to the top hospital in the city by helicopter.

She was watching the video again on a loop when Oliver's hand closed over the phone and took it and the coffee from her. "Stop." he said forcefully

"It looks so bad," she said monotone, shaking her head at what she'd just seen. She knew how close they'd been to his desk when it had exploded. "How did we survive that?"

She leaned towards him, ignoring the pull across her side and pressed her head into his neck, letting out a shaky exhale as she just took a moment to breathe.

She could almost feel Digg's eyes burning into her and she turned her head slightly to see that she was right. He'd noticed the shift between her and Oliver, but he hadn't said anything. Yet. As their eyes met he gave her a small nod that let her know things were fine for now, but they'd be talking about this in the future.

Felicity cleared her throat and sat up, finding Oliver's hand and laying hers overtop his to keep some sort of physical contact with him.

"Okay, so...police, press conference, lair? Thought we were supposed to be off today." her joke fell flat and she felt Oliver's arm tense under her.

"Felicity we're going to find him and we're going to stop him." Oliver said seriously

"I know...it's just frustrating."

She stood up too fast and felt the stitches protest as a flare of pain shot down her leg. Oliver caught her arm and helped her balance as she took a hobbling step forward. "I keep forgetting about that."

"Want me to take a look?" Digg offered and for a second she could see how truly worried he'd been for her. Even though she could take care of it herself she gave him a nod and sat back down to prop her foot on the table.

"All the supplies are in the bathroom," she said with a head tilt towards the door.

"You've just made yourself right at home, haven't you?" he said with a smirk that left her staring at his back with a gaping mouth.

Oliver chuckled next to her and used the cane to push to his feet, "You know he's just messing with us, right?" he brushed her temple with a kiss and slowly made his way back to the closet.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked, hating how haltingly he was moving.

"I promise. It's a bad bruise, but it'll heal." just before he stepped out of sight he turned and gave her an almost lewd leer, "And if you're good, I'll let you play doctor again."

Digg, of course, chose that moment to emerge from the bathroom. She hung her red face and waited for him to say something as he knelt next to her and began to remove the old bandage.

"There are going to be rules." he said without looking at her, and her mind immediately went to her earlier conversation with Oliver about rules of a different kind. A strangled sort of noise came from her throat that he must have taken as an agreement because he continued. "There are going to be things I do not need to know, see, or hear." she just nodded stiffly.

His hands paused as he was opening a new gauze square and looked at her with such intensity she stopped breathing, "And if this affects the mission…"

"It won't," she cut him off, never more serious about anything in her life.

He considered her and let his face relax some, "Good, because I think you're exactly what he's needed all this time."

All the air left her lungs like a balloon deflating and she couldn't help the tears that pricked her eyes. She dropped her hands over his and held them tight, "Thank you," she mouthed, not trusting her voice.

He held her gaze for a second more and then handed over her phone, "Here, why don't you start working some of your magic while I clean this up, I might need to put another stitch in, this isn't the best work."

She took the phone and made a face at needing more stitches, "Well, you're probably the only person who could put in stitches with Oliver breathing down your neck."

Digg let out a grunt of agreement and stood, "Med kit is in the car. I'll be back."

She busied herself on her phone when he left, looking over the list Lance had sent and, going with a hunch, focused on stores within a few blocks of her apartment. Most of the items could have been bought less than five minutes from where she lived.

"Oliver, my laptop is still in my suitcase, can you bring it here?" she called out, reaching for a bowl of fruit that was still on the tray.

He came out without the cane, or pants and she sent him a look of admonishment but couldn't keep her eyes from taking in just how good he looked in nothing but black boxer briefs.

The laptop was deposited on the couch next to her and she gave him a smile of thanks before she caught sight of his leg. "Oh god!" she exclaimed and reached out, pushing the leg of the fabric up so she could see his entire thigh. Dark, mottled bruising stretched from his knee all the way up as far as she could see. It was swollen and hot to the touch as she gently laid her palm over the worst spot.

He tensed beneath her and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, "It'll heal,"

"Oliver...how can you even walk like this?"

"I told you, I've had worse." he reminded her, leaving her shaking her head. "I've got a cream, it helps and it feels better than it did earlier."

She didn't know whether to believe him or not.

He glanced down and saw her leg still propped up and the bandage off, "Where's Digg?"

"He thinks I need more stitches. So he went to get the med kit from the car." she said reluctantly

Oliver's brows drew together in anger and she knew he was mentally arrowing the medics who had seen to her the day before. She watched his hands clench and wrapped her smaller hand around his fist, worming her fingers under his until he loosed his grip and she could slip her hand in to meet his palm.

"It's fine," she said, bringing his hand towards her so she could press a kiss to the back. "Now go finish getting ready before Digg comes back and sees you like that and I get another lecture."

Oliver tilted his head in question but she shooed him away instead of explaining.

He was safely out of sight by the time Digg returned and she glanced down at her leg, wincing when she saw the red gash and row of black thread holding everything together.

"Yeah, one or two for sure." he said as he laid out supplies and slid on a pair of gloves.

He began to draw the syringe full of numbing medication and she swallowed hard. "Do we have to use that? I think it hurts worse than the cut." she could distinctly remember how much it stung, and she'd still felt the pull of the thread each time a stitch had been made.

Digg paused and looked at her, "Are you sure? I can probably get away with only putting one in, but it's going to hurt."

She weighed her options and decided she'd rather take two brief painful moments for the stitch then repeated pokes and burning pain from the anesthetic.

"I'm sure."

Digg just shook his head and muttered something about hard headedness as he got out the hooked needle already threaded with silk and prepped the area.

Felicity fixed her eyes on a spot across the room and felt his hands hold firmly on her leg.

"Last chance. Once I start, stopping doesn't make much sense."

She nodded briskly but didn't look down and she wasn't surprised when he didn't wait. The sharp prick of the needle sliding through her skin took her breath away, and she dug her fingers into the edge of the couch to keep from crying out. Maybe she should have taken the anesthetic.

Digg didn't flinch, he kept his concentration and she felt a fine sheen of sweat break across her skin as she kept reminding herself to not move and keep breathing as evenly as possible.

One more high stinging pain made tears leak from her eyes and she couldn't keep quiet.

"That'll be the worst of it." he said softly, but it didn't take away the throbbing ache that seemed to take up her entire thigh. He made quick work of drawing the sides together and tying the knots, but she felt every pull and tug even though she knew he was trying to be careful.

By the time he'd smeared it with ointment and covered it up she was pale and shaky and couldn't seem to get her muscles to unclench.

"We're all done, you can relax now." Digg said as he took off the gloves, but she still couldn't move. He took her by the shoulders and eased her back as Oliver approached.

"Everything okay?" he asked. She shut her eyes and tried to calm her queasy stomach.

Digg waited until he'd limped his way to the side of the couch before he responded. "Your girl decided she didn't want the numbing meds."

"What?!" Oliver exploded and she could only imagine the look he was leveling Digg with. "So you stitched her up without anything?"

"Hey, it was her call man." Digg said evenly although there was a touch of steel to his voice.

"My choice," she said, although she kept her eyes shut and breathed through her nose and she didn't sound near as strong as she wanted to. "Don't yell at Digg."

"Why would you do that?" Oliver asked as she felt him sink down next to her, one hand coming to rest along the back of her neck.

"It was one stitch and that numbing stuff burns. I didn't think it would be that bad." he rubbed small circles on her skin and the churning of her stomach began to slow some. "However, I'm willing to admit it was maybe not the best decision."

She sat still for another five minutes and then chugged a glass of orange juice before she felt like she could stand without her legs giving out.

Oliver was in a suit which meant she needed to dress for work. With a sigh she suggested he join Digg downstairs to wait for her. His eyes lit as he began to argue but she stopped him by grabbing his tie and pulling him down for a kiss.

When she drew back there was a self-satisfied smile on her face and she stepped back three steps, liking the fact that she'd taken him by surprise.

"Go, I'll be down soon." she directed before entering the closet and shutting the door behind her.

She chose a looser skirt that wasn't tight on her leg and long enough to cover most of her bandage and went with low heeled boots instead of her usual heels. She'd be forced to use her contacts until she got a pair of replacement glasses.

Glad she'd thought to pack more than one bag she slipped in her laptop and phone and wondered if her purse had survived the blast or if she'd need to go through the headache of getting new credit cards and a new driver's license. That was something she'd need to remember to ask Lance next chance she got.

Carefully she made her way down the staircase, taking one step at a time as she still couldn't seem to walk normally on her left leg. The foyer was empty and she thought about calling out but she didn't know if that was proper or not and there didn't seem to be a maid hiding around the nearest corner that morning.

She heard voices however, and followed them down a long hall past the large room used during parties, until the voices got louder. The first person she saw was Digg standing just outside the open doorway. He gave her a smile and a nod of his head to let her know she was in the right place.

Oliver saw her, but it was Thea surprisingly who rushed over and pulled her into a hug. "Oh my god! Are you okay? Mom wouldn't let me go check on you last night but I saw the news and talked to Ollie and…" she shook her head and hugged her again while Felicity stood there in shock.

"I'm okay," she replied, wincing as Thea hugged a little too hard and squeezed her ribs.

Roy stepped forward and took her by the arm to pull her away, "Let's not crush Barbie to death there." he said and gave Felicity a shrug. "Glad you're okay,"

Oliver was at her side while she was still trying to process what had just happened.

"Are you sure you need to go in, Oliver? We could release a taped statement from here instead." Moira said as she approached,

"Mom, it's fine. The investors need to see me out of the house and the employees need to see me at work to know everything is okay."

Standing in the sunny sitting room she could see how pale he still was. The bandage on his head was smaller than it had been the night before but it was still noticeable and there were new bruises he couldn't hide. She'd at least been able to use concealer on the worst spots, although there was a shallow cut across her forehead that she'd left alone.

The fact that he was still using the cane told her everything she needed to know. She'd do whatever she could to make their day go as quickly as possible.

"I suppose there's no way to convince you to stay home either, is there Felicity?" Moira asked and she jumped, not expecting to be addressed. She went to push up glasses that weren't there and then clasped both her hands tight around the handle of her bag.

"Um, no. Where he goes I go."

She heard Oliver suck in a breath next to her and she turned to him. She hadn't meant her words to mean so much, but she realized they had.

Moira gave her a look not unlike the one she'd given her the night before when they'd had their talk, and Felicity could almost feel Thea's eyes boring into her.

"Alright, I know when to retreat." Moira said, holding up both hands in front of her, "But do try and be home at a reasonable hour tonight. You both look like you should still be in a hospital."

"We'll do our best, Mom." Oliver said before leaning over and kissing her cheek.

They said their goodbyes and followed Digg towards the foyer. The agent that had been in the hallway the other night met them at the door and Digg turned to them, "This is Mr. Monroe, he'll be with us until after the press conference. Another car with a separate detail will meet us there."

She was surprised Oliver didn't react to this. She didn't think he'd want someone new attached to them all day, but as long as they could get away and get to the lair that's all that mattered and it seemed like Digg had all that under control.

She gave the agent a smile, the last time she'd seen him she'd threatened him with a fireplace poker, "Good morning, Mr. Monroe."

"Morning, Ma'am, Sir." he said with short clipped syllables and there was no doubt he was a military man just like Digg.

Monroe rode up front with Digg and Oliver was quiet while she took her laptop out and started to get some of the searches going she had wanted to do.

Oliver had to nudge her when they got to the police station she had been so involved in hacking her way into several different store's payment processing servers. Looking up to see police officers walking past the car made her shut the lid quickly and give Oliver a wide-eyed stare.

"Maybe you should save the illegal activity for when we're not about to enter a police precinct." he whispered in her ear and she swallowed hard as she packed her computer away.

Oliver leaned over her to give the window a sharp rap and a second later it was open, Monroe's hand extended to help her from the car.

The other car Digg had mentioned pulled up to the curb and three more men in dark suits got out to join them. She shot Digg a slightly incredulous look but he just stared back and took lead. Oliver's hand fell to her back as they slowly made their way inside.

The sight of Oliver Queen, using a cane and surrounded by bodyguards was enough to make anyone stop and stare, including a few cops. Lance was waiting for them in the bullpen and came forward when they entered.

"Not sure you need such an entourage, especially in a police station." he said drolly,

"Just being careful," Digg replied and Lance nodded, his eyes cutting over both her and Oliver, no doubt taking in the bandages and bruises.

"Well, can't say I blame you." he said, scrubbing a rough hand over his head. He gave her a nod and motioned behind him, "Conference room is ready."

The Chief of Police, Captain of the precinct and the lead detective were all waiting as they entered. She didn't have to be looking at Oliver to know that his body filled with tension when he saw them.

"Mr. Queen, we were so very sorry to hear about the attack on your life yesterday and want you to know that the full resources of this department and the entirety of the SCPD are being used to bring this criminal to justice." the Chief said rising to shake Oliver's hand before he asked them to sit.

The image of the Chief of Police shaking hands with the city's vigilante was almost too good to be true.

Oliver took his time, first making sure Felicity was comfortable before he sat down himself. She could see the tense line of his jaw and the way his shoulders were drawn back and wanted nothing more than to be able to reach over and lay her hand on his.

When he was ready he set a steely gaze on the people in front of him. "Since I know the truth, and not the bullshit line being given to the press I know that Nathan Samuels has been in Starling for three days in order to continue to stalk, harass, and most likely harm Ms. Smoak. Until yesterday the only person in this department who even gave a damn was Detective Lance. Now that the top floor of Queen Consolidated is being blown out repeatedly on twenty-four hour cable news and I'm walking around with this cane there's a sudden interest in the case. I'd like a straight answer for why my life is considered more important than Ms. Smoak's." his voice was cold and controlled in a way she'd never heard before, even with the hood.

A warmth filled her chest and she had to drop her eyes for a second to make sure she didn't show too much. The undercurrent of anger that ran through Oliver was almost palpable and she wondered if the people who sat across from him had any idea how upset he was.

She looked up to see all three of them looking decidedly uncomfortable and it took the captain a few tries before he could form a sentence.

"Mr. Queen it was certainly not our intention to dismiss Ms. Smoak's case. At the time there was a lack of evidence that suggested…"

Oliver held up a hand and he stopped speaking immediately, "Lack of evidence? The man was held in a psychiatric facility for seven years because of what he did to her and the day he gets out he flies three thousand miles to show up at her place of employment. Later that very day her home is broken into and a threatening note left. She receives numerous harassing text messages the day after. Correct me if I'm wrong but that sounds like nothing but evidence to me."

There was more throat clearing and shifting in seats until the detective in charge spoke up, "There has been an escalation in the suspect's behavior. I've had a look over Ms. Smoak's previous statement and agree that he seems dangerous and unstable."

It was the best they would get to an admission of any sort and she knew it, she just wondered if Oliver would accept it.

"Yes, the bomb he had delivered to my office would suggest that." Oliver replied scathingly and she had to suppress a chortle with the back of her hand.

The detective decided to ignore Oliver and turned his attention to Felicity. She answered their questions as best she could, but she knew there wasn't much she could tell them that would be of any help. They were in the dark as much as she was when it came to finding him.

When they'd been there over an hour going over the same things repeatedly she'd started shifting in her seat, trying to find a position that didn't make her ribs scream, or put pressure on her leg.

It was Lance who knocked sharply on the door and stepped inside pointedly asking if she needed a break that caused the session to come to an end.

Oliver was assured once again they were doing everything they could to find him. He just nodded darkly and put a hand under Felicity's elbow to help her from the chair. Her leg almost buckled after being in one position for so long and he caught her at the waist.

"Maybe you need the cane more than I do." he joked quietly so only she could hear and she gave him a genuine smile, feeling some of the stress seep from her.

Lance offered her his arm and she took it gratefully as he led her from the room. She suspected he wanted a reason to talk to her alone and she was right.

"Did you get the list I sent you?" he asked

"Yes, and I'm already working on it. I think he's been staying near my apartment. The shops he'd need to buy those items at are all in the neighborhood."

Lance nodded in agreement. "I get off at six and then I'll take a few swings around the place, see if anything sticks out."

Digg approached and Lance stepped back making sure she wasn't going to lose her balance before he went to his desk and took out a blue plastic bag. "There's some smoke and water damage, but I salvaged what i could." he said as he handed it over.

She peeked inside and saw what was left of her purse, phone, and tablet. "Oh thank goodness,"

"It's technically evidence but...we've got a list." he said with a shrug,

Oliver was behind them, the Chief of Police still talking and she could tell he was almost at the end of his patience.

"Sorry, Detective I should get him out of here before something happens."

"I'll be at the press conference, just for crowd control. But if you need me before then…" she gave him a grateful smile and made her way back to Oliver's side.

"Mr. Queen, we really need to get going. PR wants to talk to you before the press conference." she said in her fake pleasant executive assistant voice. She also needed to sit on expensive plush leather and rest her leg for ten minutes, and maybe convince Digg to go through a drive thru because her head was starting to pound.

Oliver turned and looked at her like she was water in a desert, eyes filled with something more than she thought he wanted others to see just then.

She took the lead detective's card and promised to let them know if there was any further contact and then Oliver's hand was warm against her back and they were finally leaving.

Climbing into the car proved more difficult than she remembered it being when they'd left the mansion and when she cried out, half bent over, Oliver's arm around her middle was the only thing keeping her from falling to her knees.

"Sorry," she gasped out, trying to catch her breath "I wasn't expecting that."

"You should go back to the house." he all but growled in her ear and she shook her head no.

"I'll be fine." she insisted, and planted her feet securely under her to prove her point,

"You didn't take any pain meds this morning, did you?"

She hadn't, not on purpose but because it had slipped her mind. "No," she admitted

"Digg's got some,"

"Oliver, I can't. That stuff knocks me out and…"

His head lowered until it just touched hers and she could feel his breath brush her face, "I need you to be okay," for just a second he let his control slip and she could hear how close to the edge he was.

She turned as much as she could and wrapped her hand around his at her waist, "I'm okay."

"Mr. Queen, Ms. Smoak, we're beginning to gather an audience." Digg cut in from the other side of the car door and Oliver stood to his full height.

"Give her a hand into the car, would you, Digg." Oliver said, voice much lighter than she knew he felt just then.

Felicity barely had to do anything more than duck her head as Digg carefully picked her up and sat her in the seat, waiting to make sure she could scoot over on her own and sit back comfortably. "Sure you don't want the drugs?"

"I'm sure,"

Oliver passed her his cane and sat down with a grimace he couldn't hide.

"I thought it was feeling better."

He let his head fall back with a sigh as the door shut.

"Did you take any pain meds this morning?" she pushed and knew the look she would receive from him before it was sent her direction.

The drive to QC was too short to bother getting her computer out so she closed her eyes and enjoyed the few minutes of rest while she could. Oliver's hand found hers and she laced her fingers through his as they rode in silence.

They parked in the garage to avoid the throng of people and press that were waiting on the sidewalk. Once they were inside Oliver had to step ahead of her and greet the crowd of employees that were gathered to wish him well. Digg and the rest of the detail were close behind him, but she did notice that Mr. Monroe stuck with her.

Every now and then Oliver would glance back to make sure he could still find her and she'd give him a smile meant just for him.

Eventually they made it to a meeting room where the PR team was waiting. They detailed the briefing they'd written up and Oliver read it over quickly, making a few changes before he gave his okay and they hurried off to do last minute checks on the set up.

Digg made sure the room was secure and then waved the rest of the detail out. "I'll give you two a minute." he said and shut the door firmly behind him.

"You alright?" she asked immediately as she approached him and could finally do what she'd wanted to do most of the day which was wrap her arms around him.

He let out a long exhale and wrapped his one free arm around her back, holding her as tight as he dared. "Yeah, I just want this guy caught. We've caught people worse than him. Smarter, better trained, better resources...why is this so hard."

She laid her hand on his chest and looked up. The frustration and anger was pouring out of him and she knew he couldn't go stand in front of t.v cameras like that. "We will catch him. And the reason this is different is because he's just a regular guy. A regular guy with no past and who has had a very long time to plan this. He's ahead of us right now, but we're going to catch up. I'm not going to be held hostage by him any more. He already made me move across an entire country. He doesn't get to do that again." with each sentence she sounded stronger and more sure and by the end she believed it as much as she needed him to believe it.

She ran her hands up his chest and raised them to cup his face. "We're going to get him."

Oliver crashing his lips over hers was not what she expected and she moaned immediately into his mouth which led to his tongue sweeping across hers. Long, low swoops of desire made their way through her core as he pulled feelings from her she'd never experienced before.

The hand on her back had slid up to cup the nape of her neck, tilting her head to the side for a better angle. She scraped her nails through his stubble and heard an answering rumble from his chest. When she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth he actually groaned.

There was a loud knock on the door and she pulled back with a gasp but saw that it hadn't been opened. His eyes were dark and endless and it took everything in her to not kiss him again. She straightened his tie and smoothed his lapels and stepped out of his grasp. It was then she noticed he'd been leaning on the cane the entire time he'd been kissing her senseless. Apparently just one more talent he could add to the list.

"This won't take long," she told him, "Then we can head to the lair and...I'm going to find him."

"And I'm going to make sure he doesn't hurt you again."

There was another knock and this time the door did open and Digg stuck his head in. "Safe?"

She shot him a look and gathered up her bag, cutting one more glance over Oliver before they went out there. Her hand slipped into his and they walked all the way to the door like that. He squeezed her tight once and then let her go as he stepped out.

The plaza in front of the main entrance is where they had staged the press conference. With the large logo sign behind the podium it was well placed. She also realized if you panned a camera up directly over where Oliver would stand you'd see their office. A cold shiver went through her as she realized not twenty-four hours earlier the ground she was walking on had bits of his office all over it.

There was a sea of reporters and cameras and all around behind a barricade were hundreds of curious onlookers. She spotted Lance on the far side standing in front of one of the wooden barriers.

Digg and Monroe stayed to the back right while the other three agents flanked the other side, all standing with their hands crossed in front of them, eyes constantly scanning.

No one introduced Oliver and she saw the CEO mask settle firmly over his face as he climbed the two steps to the raised dais.

He greeted the crowd easily and there was a smattering of applause. He thanked them for their concern and then proceeded to read from the prepared statement.

Felicity found herself caught between listening to Oliver and looking at the rest of the crowd. For some reason the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up and she had the feeling she was being watched.

A shiver went through her and she stepped slightly closer to Digg. A late arriving news crew pushed through the people in an effort to get to the front and as the crowd parted she looked straight ahead and saw Nate.

Terror she'd never felt before shot through her and she was frozen as their eyes met. His gaze was cold and dead and she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't speak as he stared at her.

With calm, calculated moves he removed a backpack she hadn't seen him wearing and held it up towards her.

Her stomach dropped and her knees buckled as she knew what the backpack contained.

It was Monroe that caught her before she hit the ground. Digg's head whipped towards her and she looked at him complete panic.

"What?!" he demanded and she turned her head back to where Nate was.

Except he was gone, but the backpack was still there.

"Oh god!"

Digg grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up, "What did you see?"

"Nate's here! He just left a backpack on the ground."

Digg's face showed a second of horror and then he was shoving her at Monroe before he bellowed to everyone around them.

"BOMB!"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Firstly, you'll need to direct your blame for the last cliffhanger to hopedreamlovepray on tumblr. The bomb in the backpack was her brainchild. Secondly, I'm continually amazed and grateful for all your support and love. You've made this the most reviewed Arrow story on this site in a few short weeks and I can't begin to express how awesome that is. So, THANK YOU!**

**I love this chapter a lot. Lots of good little bits I think. And no cliffhanger. Well, not in the traditional sense at least. :) **

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

_Previously in 'Times Like These'..._

_Felicity found herself caught between listening to Oliver and looking at the rest of the crowd. For some reason the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up and she had the feeling she was being watched._

_A shiver went through her and she stepped slightly closer to Digg. A late arriving news crew pushed through the people in an effort to get to the front and as the crowd parted she looked straight ahead and saw Nate._

_Terror she'd never felt before shot through her and she was frozen as their eyes met. His gaze was cold and dead and she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't speak as he stared at her._

_With calm, calculated moves he removed a backpack she hadn't seen him wearing and held it up towards her._

_Her stomach dropped and her knees buckled as she knew what the backpack contained._

_It was Monroe that caught her before she hit the ground. Digg's head whipped towards her and she looked at him complete panic._

_"What?!" he demanded and she turned her head back to where Nate was._

_Except he was gone, but the backpack was still there._

_"Oh god!"_

_Digg grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up, "What did you see?"_

_"Nate's here! He just left a backpack on the ground."_

_Digg's face showed a second of horror and then he was shoving her at Monroe before he bellowed to everyone around them._

_"BOMB!"_

Strong arms wrapped around her and before she knew what was happening she was being bodily moved back towards the building. She tried to stop and turn to see Oliver or Digg but Monroe wouldn't let her. All she could hear were the frantic cries as people began to panic.

With one wrenching effort that she'd regret later she spun from Monroe in time to see Oliver being hauled from the podium, Digg standing in the space he'd just been pulled from watching as the other three agents took Oliver to safety.

At the last second she heard him roar her name over top of everything else. She tried to call back but a forearm was wrapped around her waist and she was almost jerked off her feet while his name disappeared into the chaos.

Her cries of pain were ignored as Monroe did his job and pushed through a side door half carrying her as he moved further into the building.

The employees who were still inside were being told to head to the back of the building and they got caught up in the flow of bodies in a mass exodus.

Monroe must have spied a break because he suddenly darted to the right and she had no choice but to go with him. Her side was on fire and spots were starting to dance in front of her eyes from lack of oxygen. She hadn't been able to take a full breath since they'd started moving.

They burst through a door and then had to navigate a set of stairs that she mostly tripped down. He lifted her again and she felt her head spin as pain made her groan. "Sorry, ma'am, we have to keep moving."

Another heavy door and they were in the lower lobby. The cafeteria was ahead and all she could hear was a din of noise. People were huddled together in small groups and all the t.v's had been turned to the news which was already showing live footage of the plaza they had just evacuated.

Monroe kept her moving through the crowd until they came out on the other end and he was suddenly knocking hard on a door she hadn't even noticed.

It was one of the auxiliary security offices and the door opened immediately. Monroe flashed his identification. "Private security for the Queens. I need this location." he said quickly and the guard vacated his spot.

She was lowered to the only chair in the room and tried to get her breathing to even out but every inhale was like a knife in her side.

Monroe took up the space between her and the door and raised his wrist to his mouth, "The Queen is secure." he said and she shook her head wondering if she'd heard him wrong. She wasn't a Queen.

"Where are Oliver and Digg?" she managed to gasp out, hand clamped hard over her ribs, head thrown back as she attempted to suck air through her teeth.

"I don't know ma'am."

"Well isn't that your job? You're supposed to be protecting Oliver, and he isn't here. So where is he?" the whine of panic that had started inside of her the second she'd seen Nate had begun to grow.

"No ma'am. I'm supposed to protect you. You are my only detail. I was hired specifically to provide personal security for you."

She was stunned silent by this and vowed to have a word with Oliver the next time she saw him.

"I'll take that up with Mr. Queen, for right now I just need to know where he is. Please." tears slipped down her cheeks as she waited for him to do something.

With a sigh he raised his hand again, "What is the status of King?" there was a beat and then he nodded his head. "Copy,"

"Mr. Queen is secure and on his way here."

She let out a sobbing gasp of relief and sank into the chair, side protesting the sudden movement but she didn't care just then.

While her breath calmed she looked at the back of Monroe's head as he stared impassively at the door, "King and Queen?" she asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

"Codenames, ma'am. Standard procedure." he said without turning around.

"Of course," she nodded, "Who chose them?"

"Mr. Diggle, ma'am."

"Of course," if her head hadn't been throbbing she would have rolled her eyes, "John Diggle you're a dead man," she muttered under her breath.

The closed circuit cameras she was sitting in front of caught her attention and she swiveled in the seat and began tapping on the keyboard.

Monroe turned at the noise, "Ma'am?" he asked,

"Hush Monroe, we all have our specialties. Yours is protecting rich people. This is mine." the pain was momentarily forgotten and she was already distracted as she pulled up the cameras she wanted, the first being all the exterior ones, hoping she could find one of the plaza, the others were the ones in the cafeteria, hoping she'd get a glimpse of Oliver.

At the same time she pulled up all the video from the past two hours on the outside cameras and had it sent to her servers at the lair. Hopefully she could punch it into the facial recognition program and find out where Nate came from and where he headed when he left.

The plaza looked to be clear now except for police and a few camera crews trying to get too close. She could still see the dark shape of the backpack where it lay propped against a light post. Her only consolation was that it hadn't detonated yet.

Most of the employees had been moved from the cafeteria since one large wall was made of nothing but glass. So when Oliver and his three agents entered the first frame she saw them clearly.

"Oh god!" she gasped out, relief leaving her weak as she grasped the edge of the desk,

She climbed to unsteady feet and tried to move past Monroe but he blocked her way. "I'm sorry ma'am I can't let you go out there."

Unfortunately for Monroe he didn't know she went toe to toe with the Arrow on a regular basis.

"Monroe, I know you don't know me well at all. But it would really be in your best interest to get out of my way." she growled,

"Ma'am…"

"If you _'ma'am'_ me one more time I will not be held responsible for my actions."

She glanced back at the monitors and saw that they were now more than half way through the cafeteria.

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

Oliver's yell was heard even through the door to the office and she gave Monroe a smug smirk.

His lips pressed together to say 'ma'am' once again but rethought, "I cannot let you out of my sight until I know the threat is clear."

"Then I guess you're coming with me," she said with a shrug and feinted right like Digg had taught her before darting under him on the left and pulling the door open before he could move. In the small space she had the advantage.

She ran out as fast as she could, ribs still begging her to stop moving but she looked to the left and saw him only fifty yards away.

"Felicity!"

She always loved the way he said her name, but that time may have been her favorite.

Cursing her injuries she started walking towards him. His cane was gone she noticed but his stride was sure and she knew he'd forgotten all about how bad his leg was.

Her eyes blurred with tears the closer he got. When he jogged the last few feet she knew she'd yell at him for it later. But right then all she needed was to know he was okay and to calm the fear that had filled her when they'd been separated.

His arms wrapped around her and she clutched tight to his shirt. She could feel his fingers digging into her hip and arm as he held her, murmuring soft words into her hair.

She breathed him in and let the security she felt when he was near wash over her. Then his hands were on her face, tilting her chin up and wiping the dampness from her cheeks. She gave him a watery smile as she saw the depth of his worry. His lips pressed to hers in a quick hard kiss and then he was pulling away.

"It was Nate, I saw him." she said in a quavering voice,

"You saw him? He was here?" Oliver replied, pulling her just a bit closer.

She bobbed her head as she worried her bottom lip, "He was in the crowd and...I felt like someone was watching me and then...he was there. He had a black backpack and he held it up like...he wanted me to see it. He wanted me to know. And then when I looked again he was gone." her hands covered her face as the guilt once again overtook her.

Oliver's hand slid into her hair and drew her towards him once again. "This is not your fault." he murmured into her head as she struggled to regain control.

"I told Digg what I saw and…" she broke off abruptly and looked around wildly before she stared at Oliver with wide frightened eyes. "Where's Digg?"

His brows narrowed, the crease between them deeper than she'd ever seen, "What do you mean? I thought he went with you."

The cold fist around her gut tightened as she whipped her head to see Monroe and the other agents surrounding them. "Where's Digg?" she shouted, "Where's John?"

"He was still outside when we brought Mr. Queen in, ma'am." one of the agents she didn't know said.

There were looks exchanged among the men and then Monroe raised his wrist to his mouth.

The explosion came from outside but it shook the foundation of the building and they could hear the sound of glass shattering.

Oliver reacted immediately, tucking himself around her and turning them so his back was to the threat. The other agents closed in and for a moment all she could see was the black of Oliver's suit.

The 'No!' that was torn from her throat echoed around them long after the shaking stopped.

"No! Digg!" she gasped and clamped down on Oliver's arms to keep herself upright. His eyes met hers and she saw the stark terror that she knew matched what he was seeing. Her head shook back and forth, as she refused to consider the worst.

She was so shocked she didn't realize at first when Oliver was setting her back, pushing her towards Monroe and motioning to one of the other agents to follow him.

"Oliver!" but he was already three steps away and her hands grasped at nothing but air as she reached for him.

"I'm going to find him!" he promised her and then cut his eyes to the other agents, "Keep her here!"

With the back of her hand pressed to her mouth she could only watch as he headed away from her at a run. All she could do was wait.

Minutes felt like hours as she paced in front of the giant glass windows. Monroe had tried one time to get her to go back into the office but she'd cut him down with a glare that needed no other explanation. Her side and her leg didn't hurt. Everything was numb and she kept moving just to prove to herself that she was still there. She couldn't consider any possibility other than they would both be walking towards her very soon.

She had one hand wrapped around her middle, the thumb nail of her other hand tapping impatiently on her lower lip as she walked the same five foot stretch of floor. The three agents were far enough away to give her some space but she still felt their presence. High pitched sirens sounded outside and she wondered if she'd hear them in her sleep as she scrubbed her palms over her face.

Digg would be fine. He had to be, there was no other option. The mere thought of there being any other option made a pain flare in her chest so quick and sharp she had to press a fist into her breastbone to try and make it stop. He would be fine she said to herself again. He had to be.

She almost asked how long it had been more than once, but knew she didn't actually want to know. All she wanted was for Oliver and Digg to come back to her whole.

"Ma'am," Monroe said suddenly, causing her head to turn so quickly her neck cracked. He caught her gaze and then nodded behind him.

Her eyes flew up to see Digg and Oliver coming towards them. Digg looked dusty and dirty, but he didn't look injured. Oliver was a half step behind, limping again.

"Oh!" she cried out, the relief she felt at seeing them leaving her temporarily stunned. But not for long.

"Digg!" she crashed into him full force and heard him grunt slightly. "You're okay. You didn't get blown up. I'm so sorry I said you'd be a dead man for those codenames, I didn't mean it. I'd never actually mean it." she shook her head and hugged him tight. His chest vibrated beneath her in a low chuckle.

"I'm okay, Felicity. And I'm not going to apologize for the codenames."

She leaned back and looked at him through wet lashes, "You don't have to. It's okay. I'm just so glad you're alright."

Oliver's hand dropped to her shoulder and for one brief moment nothing in her world was wrong.

"So what happened?" she asked, stepping away and wiping her face quickly,

Digg took a deep breath and exchanged a look with Oliver, "Come on, we can walk and talk. They want to know what you saw anyways."

The three of them fell into step, Felicity flanked by Oliver and Digg while the agents followed close behind.

"You saw Nate leave one backpack right in front of where we were standing." Digg said and she nodded. He took a deep breath before he continued. "That's not the one that blew up."

"Oh my god, there were two?" she asked in shock,

"There was another backpack found identical to that one on the other side of the plaza. That's the one that had the bomb in it."

Felicity rubbed her fingers across her temple as she tried to push away the throbbing pain that had been building all day. "I don't understand."

"He left two bags. One had an explosive device in it. The other the bomb squad is planning on doing a controlled detonation on just in case. Looks like the timing was designed for it to explode right after the speech was over when Oliver would have been doing interviews with the press."

She shivered at the thought and fought to keep herself from reaching back and grabbing Oliver's hand to hold like a lifeline.

Lance approached just then along with another man dressed in heavy black body armor. "Ms. Smoak." Lance called, "This is Lieutenant Davis, head of the bomb squad he wants to know what you saw."

With halting words she told them what she knew, Oliver's comforting presence only a few inches behind her.

Davis nodded, "We haven't been able to detect an explosive in the bag the suspect showed you, but we're not going to take any chances." he turned away from them and pulled a radio off his shoulder, "Get ready to do that controlled detonation."

"Should be safe enough to watch from inside. We'll let you know what we find." he said to Lance and then he was gone.

They followed Lance back up one floor to the large expanse of windows that looked out over the plaza.

"Better not go any further." he said with an arm outstretched and they all stopped about thirty feet back.

No one spoke as a large, metal box was dropped over the backpack. Several minutes later the area was cleared and there was a muffled boom that still made her jump as small wisps of smoke escaped the box.

Davis and another man removed the box and after waiting for some of the smoke to clear he knelt on the ground near the remains of the backpack. She watched him sift through the debris and pick up several pieces of what looked like paper.

He spoke into his radio again and a few minutes later another officer was calling to Lance. "Davis wants you. Says to bring the woman."

Felicity's back stiffened and she felt Oliver react next to her, his hand dropping to her back.

There was no doubt Oliver and Digg would go with her and as they followed Lance outside all she could smell was smoke and melted plastic.

"No device." Davis said when they were as close as he would allow, "Looks like it was just filled with stuff. Pictures, letters, things like that." he held a bit of a burned photograph in his gloved hand,

Lance took it carefully and then showed it to her. At first glance it looked like a younger Felicity, except when she studied the picture closer she realized it wasn't her.

"Oh, that's her." she said, her voice sounding strange to her own ears.

"That's who?" Lance asked

"That's Jenny. That's his girlfriend. The one that died and that he thought I looked like. He...uh...he wanted me to…"

Lance cut her off, "It's okay, I know what he wanted." he said gently and she swallowed over a lump in her throat. She'd forgotten he knew the whole story.

She swayed as everything caught up with her. Her leg, side, and head suddenly all screaming in protest at what she'd been put through that day. Oliver and Digg both grabbed her and she leaned heavily into Oliver's arm as she tried to drag enough air through her hurting lungs.

"Get her out of here. We've got enough." Lance said and turned back to Davis, "Bag it all. Maybe the sicko left a note in there we can piece back together."

She was barely aware as she was guided away from the plaza. There were shouted calls from reporters, but the agents formed a human wall to keep them from view. They waited out of sight near the large police vans but she hardly noticed what was going on around them.

"Where's the damn car?" Oliver growled, his impatience growing with each minute that passed.

"Mr. Diggle is having it searched, sir." Monroe answered, and she felt Oliver stiffen under her.

"Searched for what?" she asked, her brain too foggy just then to understand.

"For explosives, ma'am."

A wave of nausea rolled through her and all she could do was turn her face into Oliver's chest and wait for it to pass.

When the cars pulled up she eyed them warily but knew Digg would never let them get in if it wasn't safe.

"Dogs are going to clear the building, but it needs to be shut down for the rest of the day." he informed Oliver, who just nodded in agreement.

"Make sure it's safe before anyone else goes in there." he ordered gravely,

Oliver had her tucked under his arm, flush against his side as they left Queen Consolidated.

"Why is he doing this?" she asked in a dull voice, "He's never hurt other people before. I don't...I just don't understand. He was an engineering major but I didn't think he knew about making bombs and…" her throat was thick again and Oliver stroked a hand over her head,

"Shhh, you can't make sense of it so don't try."

"I need to figure this out." she said suddenly, pushing up off his chest and wincing at how much it hurt, "Digg, we're going the wrong way. We need to-" she was cut off by Oliver's mouth on hers and she whimpered into him, not understanding why he'd decided to kiss her just then.

"We're not alone." he whispered into her mouth and her eyes went wide in shock and shame as her eyes cut to the back of Monroe's head.

"We're going back to the mansion, Felicity." Digg said and she knew by his tone even if Monroe wasn't there they still wouldn't be going to the lair.

"You're still hurt. You need to rest." Oliver reminded her,

"No, there's too much to do." she couldn't rest if she knew she should be doing something to find Nate.

"And you can do it from the mansion." he said pointedly and then nodded to her bag where her laptop still resided.

He was right. Most of what she needed to do could be done from her laptop.

Resignedly she sighed and slumped back down into the seat.

His palm was warm over her knee and she tried to settle her nerves the last few miles to the mansion but all she could see and hear were the people in the plaza panicking as they ran and the few minutes she didn't know if Digg had been hurt or not.

When they pulled up out front Digg went to talk to the rest of the detail as Oliver helped her from the car. Her leg was almost useless but she gritted her teeth and swore to not show how much it hurt. She needed Oliver to stop looking at her like she could fall apart at any second.

As soon as the main doors opened Moira and Thea were rushing forward both wanting to hug Oliver as they threw question after question at them.

Felicity found herself being hugged by Thea and Moira surprisingly gave her a warm smile and took her hands in hers asking if she was fine.

All Felicity could do was nod as both Queen women turned back to Oliver to fuss. "I couldn't believe there was another attack at the office. We were watching the press conference and then...it was horrible. For a moment I thought I was going to lose you again." Moira said, her hand cupping Oliver's cheek.

Felicity was struck hard by what Moira must have been going through. Regardless of her part in the Undertaking she cared deeply for her children and Felicity had no doubt that her actions were motivated by trying to keep them safe. To have lost Oliver once and then after the bombing just the day before...she couldn't imagine what she had to have been feeling as she'd watched the broadcast.

The responsibility she felt at having brought all this on them hit her like a blow to the gut and she took one step back and then another until she was well separated from the Queens. Moira was telling Oliver that members of the Board kept calling and she'd been in contact with PR to come up with an appropriate message to send out to the investors.

She saw him sigh heavily and wipe a weary hand across his face. Those were the things his Executive Assistant should be handling, but just then she couldn't. She needed some time. She needed some quiet and some space.

With slow, careful steps she made her way as quietly as she could to the bottom of the staircase. She knew she'd never slip away completely undetected by Oliver, but she had to try.

She hadn't made it to the first step when he called her name and she paused, letting out a long exhale.

"Hey, where are you going? Are you okay?" he asked, his hand already on her elbow as he used that soft voice that seemed to be reserved for her alone.

"I'm fine," she said without turning and winced internally when she knew that had been the wrong choice.

"You're not fine."

She counted to three and turned her hips so she was half facing him. "No. I'm not. I need to...get to work. And I...just need a little bit of time, okay? So, go make your calls and I'll see you later."

Hurt and confusion flashed across his face and it was the last bit of guilt she could carry just then. Before he could say anything she began to climb the stairs. With each step she hoped he didn't call out or come after her, the last thing she could handle right then was some sort of scene in front of his family.

But he didn't, and she was three quarters of the way to her goal when her leg gave out and she had to grip the handrail quickly to avoid banging her knee on the riser.

The room was beyond silent and she froze, half bent over where she'd caught her balance. She knew without a doubt that he'd already moved and that he was only a few steps behind her.

"Oliver,"

It was one word but it held an entire conversation. She could feel the crackle of electricity between them and when she was certain he wasn't going to follow she straightened up and resumed her climb.

When she reached the top she didn't dare turn back, and the silence followed her all the way to his door.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you! I can't say enough how much I love all the reviews and support and love for this story. Please keep it coming! This chapter has a little bit of everything I think. :) Also, please note the rating has been raised. Not necessarily for this chapter but...why fight the inevitable, right? **

**Enjoy! And Let me know what you think!**

Oliver's hurt and confused face was all she could see as she walked into his room. She shook her head roughly to rid herself of the image and closed her eyes in a grimace as it only made her head throb.

Knowing she'd collapse if she stopped moving she headed straight to the desk in front of the large window and turned on the desktop computer he kept there. However, as soon as it began to boot up she let out a heavy sigh at the operating system it was using and knew it had been too long since an update.

She began the required updates while she brought out her own laptop and tablet and settled herself gingerly in the chair. Soon enough she had a set up that did its best to mirror what she had at the lair. She'd be able to remotely access her servers there but it would mean the work would take longer due to the security measures she'd have to take to ensure no one could track what she was doing.

The security footage she'd sent over was her first order of business and she plugged the video into the facial recognition program and let it run while she headed to the closet and kicked off her shoes.

She was surprised to notice that the clothes she'd worn the day before had already been cleaned and rehung. A quick glance around the room showed the bed made and the breakfast tray gone. She had to admit there were certain parts to staying at the mansion that she could get used to.

Her eyes trailed to the bed and memories of sleeping there with Oliver filled her mind. She was definitely already used to that.

The updates on Oliver's computer were going to take longer than she'd like and with a sigh she made her way to the bathroom. It was late afternoon but she was shaky and pale and knew she should just take the pain meds and pass out for a few hours but she was having a hard time reconciling that with her need to find Nate and make all of this end.

She stood at the counter, hands braced as she leaned forward letting out a long, controlled breath and did her best to ignore the way her ribs stung. The shower beckoned but she didn't know if she could stand that long, and then her eyes landed on the large tub she'd barely glanced at. For only a second she considered the stitches in her leg, but what Digg didn't know wouldn't hurt him and she'd deal with that later if she had to. Right then, sinking into a tub full of hot water sounded like exactly what she needed.

She didn't waste any time turning on the faucet. It was a challenge to reach the drain stop and she was breathing heavily when she was upright again, but the pain would be worth it. One corner of the marble platform surrounding the tub had an array of bath salts and oils and other products that she was sure Oliver had never used. A brief thought flit through her mind that they were there for his 'guests' but she dismissed it along with the flash of jealousy it had summoned.

Felicity selected a bottle of bubble bath and poured in a generous amount before she went to check on her set up in the other room.

Muttering about Oliver's inability to keep his computer up to date she knew she'd have at least half an hour before it was ready to use and the facial recognition program was still running.

The bath was full when she returned and she quickly shed her clothes and bundled her hair on top of her head in a sloppy knot.

Climbing in wasn't easy but she managed and soon enough she was sighing as she sank up to her neck in hot frothy water. Her leg stung fiercely at first but she ignored it and just enjoyed the way the heat seeped into her sore muscles.

The tub was beyond huge. Stretched out fully she could barely touch her toes to the other side. It was a good tub for two people she thought as she sat back and closed her eyes. Especially if one of those people was six foot one and built like a Greek god.

But all too soon her nice, pleasant, sexy thought of Oliver was replaced with his tired, worn expression as she'd left him on his own. Her stomach tumbled as she remembered leaving him when she should have been at his side. She hadn't known how to explain to him that she just needed some space to think and clear her head. Except now that she had it that wasn't what was happening at all.

Frustrated, and sad, feeling like she was failing everyone she picked up a cloth and dipped it in the hot water before covering her face with it and just lay there, breathing the humid air.

She didn't hear him enter, but she felt him. Her heart rate jumped and she did a quick check to make sure everything vital was well below the waterline and covered in bubbles but she didn't move to uncover her face. She waited until she heard him settle on the side of the tub and when a finger dipped into the water and stroked over her knee she shivered despite the heat.

Slowly she let the cloth fall, not opening her eyes until she'd laid it off to the side.

He was staring at her intently when she looked at him and it took every ounce of control she had not to ask if he wanted to join her. He'd shed his suit coat, and had his shirt sleeves rolled up, the tie loose around his neck with the top two buttons undone. Her mouth went dry at the image he presented sitting only inches away while she lay there naked beneath an ever evaporating layer of white.

His shoulders were slumped and there was a bone deep tiredness she saw that she knew he'd kept from everyone else. His eyes were pinched and the furrow between his brow was so deep it almost looked painful. And she knew she'd only added to his strain when she'd left him on the stairs.

"Hi," she said in a raspy voice that betrayed everything she was feeling just then. She slid a hand through the bubbles and reached for his fingers, grasping them loosely where they rested over the edge of the tub.

He replied with a small uptick of his lips, but no words.

She wanted to apologize. She knew she should but she also knew he'd brush her off and tell her she didn't have to and that made her mad. She wanted to feel responsible. She wanted him to blame her. Because that would mean she had some sort of control over everything that was happening. When everyone told her it wasn't her fault and gave her sympathetic looks it just made her feel like a victim and that's not what she wanted.

So she avoided it all, and drew her hand back before she spoke.

"How did the calls go?" she tried for normal or even nonchalant. What came out was something half desperate, half broken that made her shut her eyes tight and turn her head away.

His finger along her knee again made her glance up to see him looking even more disheartened than he had before.

"Fine. They were what I expected. And I still have to call Tokyo," he said checking his watch, "It'll be the start of business there soon." he sounded just as wrong as she did.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, not being able to stop herself even though she knew what would come of it.

Except she was wrong.

He let his hand rest on the curved edge where the tub began and sat back against the pillar behind him, letting out a long exhale as his head tipped back. "I know what it's like to need to run, Felicity. When everything is too much and you just...need a chance to step back and find yourself again without all the other madness screaming at you. It's okay to need that."

Her chest tightened as he spoke because she knew he meant how he'd run to the island and she couldn't believe that her issues were anywhere near the equivalent. "Oliver…"

But he continued on like he hadn't heard her. "You handle this the way you want. Even if that means you run. Because I'll always come after you, just like you came after me."

The lines on his forehead had smoothed and his jaw had loosened. She stared at him in stunned surprise and a bit of awe, as she understood he'd released some of his own demons by telling her that. Because he'd realized if she deserved to be found then so did he.

She was almost taken aback by the swell of love that filled her, making her catch her breath. Understanding was mirrored back at her and a slow, easy smile began to form on his face. Suddenly she didn't feel the need to hide any longer.

The only noise in the room was the steady hiss of the bubbles popping and as she let the water work it's magic on her bruised body, Oliver's words and support did the same for her soul.

With a grin she raised her hand and lightly flicked water at him, "So... Mr. Monroe...were you ever going to tell me?"

His eyes widened almost imperceptibly but she saw. "Monroe?" he asked, playing dumb and she flicked water at him again.

"Yes, Monroe, the man who apparently you hired as a personal bodyguard for only me, and didn't think I should know about." his eyes shifted away for a second before they met hers, a challenge flashing through them. "Monroe is very talkative you should know. He's told me everything."

At that Oliver crooked a disbelieving eyebrow. Monroe's taciturn nature and impeccable professionalism had been obvious from the moment she'd met him.

"Well if he's told you everything then you don't need to ask." Oliver countered, quickly putting his hands up to avoid a drenching as she pretended to splash him in mock indignation.

"He told me nothing other than I was his only detail." she replied with a small pout.

Oliver became serious and nodded once, "I talked to Digg, and we decided it was for the best. There were going to be times where we couldn't guarantee either of us would be with you at every moment, especially when we were out, and today…" he scraped a rough hand down his face as memories flooded him, "today was a perfect example of what could happen. So if you're looking for an apology you're not going to get one. He did what Digg and I couldn't do and he kept you safe."

"I don't want an apology. But I wouldn't mind being filled in on things like this."

"That sounds like something I can live with." he said in agreement and she smiled in response. The longer they stared at each other the quicker her pulse began to thrum and she wondered if he was feeling the same.

Slowly she sat up and saw a spark light his eyes. Without saying a word she moved towards the end of the tub where he was sitting, never averting her gaze. The tub was so deep she could sit normally and just the top swell of her breasts were visible, but there was something provocative and a touch dangerous at being so close to him and so naked while he was fully clothed looking down at her.

She held in a smirk when Oliver's eyes dropped for a split second, but when he looked back his pupils had darkened to near black. Her hands closed over the lip of the tub where it met the marble and the breath caught in her throat when he ran the tip of one finger over the ridges of her knuckles.

Neither of them blinked as he traced the fine bones along the back of her hand, trailing slowly to her wrist and then back to where her fingers curled. With each pass a warmth spread throughout her body and it had nothing to do with the heat of the water. Her breath was shallow and she knew he could feel the tremors that shook her each time he touched her wrist.

When he'd mapped each line he let his fingers continue and she was unable to stop the strangled gasp that left her throat. She was gripping the cold porcelain tight, his touch making her shiver as he followed the line of her arm, across the sensitive inside of her elbow and up to her shoulder. He paused there and seemed focused on one particular spot. When she looked she realized he was circling a rather large bruise, but he was gentle and it didn't hurt.

She was hyper-aware of every point of contact and when he skimmed across her collarbone her eyes fell shut and her head tilted to the right as she gave up the fight. His thumb ran just where the water met her skin and she was sure if he didn't kiss her soon she might spontaneously combust.

It felt like forever before she felt his hand just graze her throat and cup her jaw. The swirls of heat in her belly were gathering quicker as electricity seemed to spark from each place he'd been. Her entire hand and arm were alive with fire, like he'd left some sort of impression of himself under her skin.

Then he was tilting her chin up and she fluttered her eyelashes open just in time to see him leaning in. His other hand framed her face as his lips dropped to hers. She pressed up into the kiss, not wasting time as she opened beneath him, tasting the distinctive flavor of the whisky he must have drank right before he made his calls.

She moaned low in her throat and leaned in closer as his hand left her jaw and fell again to her shoulder and then down her back. Felicity gasped his name as his fingers trailed down her side and under the water. A thumb brushed the side of her breast and she moaned again, swirling her tongue around his, stroking it slowly until she pulled a noise from his chest she'd never heard him make before.

When his hand traveled north again she almost whimpered at the loss. He retraced his path, coasting over her shoulder, down her arm and ending at her fingers. His mouth pulled away from hers at the very moment he broke contact with her knuckles.

It took her a few seconds to open her lids, and when she did she was greeted with a dark vortex of desire brewing in his normally blue eyes. Her heart was pounding so fast she knew her pulse had to be visible in her neck. She licked her lips subconsciously and the half-lidded look of want he gave her sent bolts of heat to her core.

His jaw tightened and she watched as he gathered himself and purposely pushed to his feet, checking his watch as he stood. He swore violently under his breath and stalked to the sinks.

Felicity lay her folded arms in the spot where he'd been sitting and perched her chin on top. It gave her an almost giddy sense of pride to see him so affected. He ran cold water on his hands and splashed his face before drying off. His gaze caught hers in the mirror and she grinned saucily for which she was granted a lifted eyebrow in return.

He looked at his reflection again and before she could say anything tore off the gauze square taped to his temple. She let out a disapproving huff, and crooked a finger at him that she knew he could see.

With a sigh he turned and approached the tub. Her neck was craned upwards to see him and all she had to do was tilt her head to the side and give him a look. He knelt down and she rewarded him with a smile.

Grabbing the cloth she'd used earlier, she dipped it in the water once before she wrung it out and carefully took his chin in one hand. He relaxed into her hold as she raised the cloth and gently washed away the dried blood. The cut was healing, but the bruise around it looked tender. Looking down quickly she saw his eyes were still shut and she raised up on her knees to brush a quick kiss over the spot. Cool air made her nipples harden as they broke the surface of the water and when she lowered herself and looked at him again his eyes were open, but they gave away nothing.

He pushed to his feet and turned back to the counter, studiously avoiding her gaze. She watched without embarrassment as he redid his buttons and tightened his tie. When he rolled his sleeves down she had to stifle a giggle when he noticed the cuff on his right arm was wet. He checked his watch again and muttered another curse as he did the button with a deft flick of his fingers. She knew he didn't have time to change.

A wicked smile crossed her face at the thought of knowing he'd have a wet sleeve all through his video call halfway around the world because he'd been feeling her up only minutes before.

He caught her look in the mirror and paused, "Proud of yourself?" he asked dryly and she only nodded. He looked back and was about to say something but he stopped himself and his gaze shifted filling her with heat again.

"I'll be done in about half an hour. Take some meds, get some rest." he said and she nodded again, knowing there was a slim chance she'd actually do that.

Just before he left he turned back and gave her a wicked grin of his own. She narrowed her eyes in question and he lifted his chin towards the tub. "Your bubbles are gone."

Her gasp was swallowed up by the door shutting as she turned as fast as she could to see he was correct. The bubbles were gone, and he'd had an excellent view of her ass.

She tried to settle back into the now cloudy water but her thoughts kept straying to Oliver, and that kiss and finally she pulled the drain with a sharp jerk and climbed from the tub.

Her muscles were warm and loose for the first few minutes. The view that greeted her in the mirror made her cringe. One side was peppered with bruises from her shoulder to her knee, and the other hadn't done much better, especially the area around her stitches.

She dried the wound carefully and applied a generous amount of ointment before she covered it up. Bending over to place and tape down the gauze coupled with the heat of the bath left her breathless and lightheaded. Knowing she'd regret it when she passed out within the hour she begrudgingly took two pills from the bottle Oliver had left on the counter and made her way to the closet to procure another one of his shirts, now doing it because she knew he liked it and so did she.

The updates were finished she noticed as she passed by and she eagerly took a seat, propping her hurt leg on a nearby ottoman while she drew the other foot up in front of her, letting her lean some of her weight away from her injured ribs.

With the security footage ready she filtered through the facial recognition program, cringing when Nate was spotted entering the plaza only a few minutes before the speech was set to start. He'd come in with other curious members of the public and seemed to blend in. The black backpack against his black jacket was almost invisible and the second one he carried easily in his hand, looking no different than any of the other people there.

As the cameras changed the program picked him up as he made his way around the perimeter of the crowd and stood behind a group that had obviously come together. The first backpack was dropped just as Oliver took the podium. She watched with her heart in her throat as he wove through the people and came to stand right in front of where she knew she'd been.

She, Digg, and Monroe were too close to the building to be visible on the camera but she went cold again as he lifted the bag her direction and then sat it down carefully. The next few seconds were chilling. With no sound there was no way to know when Digg had yelled until suddenly people began to flee.

Nate had started to leave the way he'd come in as soon as he'd dropped the bag, but when others caught up with him he ran too. She lost him once, but spotted him just as he turned the corner to cut up the street QC bordered.

"Gotcha," she muttered.

There were three banks along that street that all had ATM cameras she'd used before. Typing furiously she accessed their cameras and sat back, waiting as the video she wanted was added to her program.

The second camera showed him hailing a cab and she paused the video with a tight smile and zoomed in on the plates before shooting off a quick email to Detective Lance. He shouldn't have any trouble finding the driver who picked Nate up or where he took him.

Feeling reinvigorated and a bit euphoric thanks to her meds she refocused her efforts on running the searches of the bomb materials and where they'd been purchased. Several of the stores near her apartment came up with sales of specific items the day before the bomb was delivered.

She was waiting to cross reference the card numbers used to make the purchases to see if they matched, but only three of the stores kept their systems online and there was lag due to her bouncing the search through multiple servers to keep the lair protected.

Her eyes grew heavier and heavier and the running strings of numbers across the screens were almost hypnotic. She told herself she'd only close her eyes for a minute, and that's the last thing she remembered.

When she woke up it was dark, her head felt slow and heavy, and she could hear a familiar deep voice close by.

Felicity lay in the bed as the fog in her mind cleared. The voice she realized was Digg's and she pushed herself up on her right arm, covers falling to her lap as she took in the sight before her.

Digg was sitting in the chair at Oliver's desk, her makeshift lair set up in front of him, and when he turned his head slightly she could see a comm link in his ear.

It only took her a few precious seconds to make a quick scan of the room and see that Oliver wasn't there.

"Where is he?" she demanded before she'd fully made it from the bed and stalked as menacingly as she could towards Digg.

She saw his shoulders come back as she approached and give a soft sigh, "She's awake," he said resignedly

"Give it over," she said through gritted teeth, holding her hand out for the comm link.

"Felicity…" Digg began and she cut him off,

"Don't! What does he think he's doing?" she couldn't believe he'd go after Nate without telling her first.

"Your intel hit." Digg said in that terribly even tone of his that usually helped calm her down, but just then all it did was infuriate her.

"Digg! Where is he?!"

His eyes dropped and so did her stomach as she suddenly realized there was something going on she might not want to know.

"What is it?" she asked warily,

"You were right, that Nate had sent those texts from your apartment." he waited for her to nod, that wasn't new information. "Between what we've got here and an email that came from Lance a little bit ago...it looks like he never left."

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

"He's been holed up at your place for the past twenty-four hours, at least."

She felt like the floor had dropped out beneath her. Knowing he'd been in her place to leave the hair dye and then to send the texts had been disturbing enough. But to know he'd been living there...making his bombs there made her head reel.

Warm hands on her knees brought her back and she startled when she saw Digg kneeling in front of her as she now sat in the chair.

"Oliver went to my apartment. He went after him." she said, voice choked.

"Yeah," Digg confirmed, "Left about an hour ago, had to swing by the lair first."

She nodded and blew out a long breath, "How'd he get out of here if it's surrounded by security, and I'm assuming the press."

Digg actually smiled and shook his head at that, "I asked him the same thing, but he assured me he had a lot of practice sneaking out of his room and off the property in his pre-island days."

She let out a small snort of laughter, "I'm sure he did," she said sardonically,

The air stilled as a veil of seriousness settled between them, "Is he okay enough to do this?"

Digg scrubbed his palms down his thighs and climbed to his feet, "He says he is."

"What do you say?" she had to turn and look at the screens, she couldn't keep her eyes on him as he answered.

"I think it's a good thing Nate doesn't seem to be that much of a physical threat. He'll be fine."

The results from the stores were scrolling past, the same gift card numbers highlighted as well as a timestamp and the itemized list of what was bought.

"No...not a physical threat," she said distractedly as her brain began to see a pattern and put the pieces together. Fingers flying she pulled up the report from the bomb squad and saw there was a new one from the one at the plaza. A cold, gnawing terror was growing and she felt Digg step closer to her, knowing she was on to something. "He's not a physical threat...but he is smart. Smarter than I think we're giving him credit for."

The amounts that Nate had bought were too much for only one or two devices. But it wasn't too much for something bigger, like wiring an entire apartment building.

Her hand whipped out and snatched the comm link from Digg's ear, slapping it in place before he could react.

"Oliver! Where are you?" she asked, desperate as she worked to pull up his location on the screen.

Her heart dropped as she saw the blip appear just as he answered,

"I'm on your fire escape, the place looks empty but I'll check it out in case he's still here."

"NO!" she cried, half rising from the chair, "The apartment is going to explode!"


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! Thanks for being so awesome and so fantastic as always. I love the enthusiasm and support for this story, you're all the best. I hope certain...aspects...of this chapter make up for the cliffhanger and the wait. :) Enjoy! And please let me know what you think!**

_Previously in 'Times Like These'..._

_"Oliver! Where are you?" she asked, desperate as she worked to pull up his location on the screen._

_Her heart dropped as she saw the blip appear just as he answered,_

_"I'm on your fire escape, the place looks empty but I'll check it out in case he's still here."_

_"NO!" she cried, half rising from the chair, "The apartment is going to explode!"_

Felicity braced herself on the edge of the desk waiting for the inevitable, waiting for her world to implode, but the horrible rush of noise didn't come.

She heard his breath catch and could almost see him, poised to open the window, but frozen still by her words.

With a stutter her heart restarted and she let out a great rush of air as she sank thankfully into the chair. Digg dropped his head in relief and gave a quick jerk of his chin side to side. "He's gotta be out of lives by now." he muttered and then he was grabbing his phone and calling in an anonymous tip to emergency services.

He stepped away and she could hear him give the address and details as she willed her hands to stop shaking.

"Oliver, get out of there. Digg's calling in the bomb threat and I'll let Lance know." she said in a trembling voice.

She could almost feel the frustration and anger rolling off of him from halfway across the city.

"Felicity…"

"I know," she said thickly, "Just...come home. We'll get him. We will."

He didn't want to come back though. He wanted to tear Starling apart trying to find him.

"Oliver…"

There was a low growl and then she could hear him moving. Trying to concentrate she sent Lance a head's up and then tuned the feed to the police scanners. They were already scrambling the bomb squad and calling for the building to be evacuated. Her stomach turned at the thought of all those people being sent from their homes late at night and possibly losing everything because of Nate.

Digg's hand squeezed her shoulder, "Good catch,"

Anger filled her and she shrugged out of his grip, twisting in her seat even though it hurt. "No, it wasn't a _'good catch'._ You two didn't know. He went out there without all the information because you two decided to play cowboy without me. I'm part of this team! And Oliver almost got killed because I was sleeping instead of doing my job!"

Digg's eyes locked on hers, holding her gaze and she saw his jaw tighten as he thought about what to say.

It was Oliver that broke the tight silence. "It was my call, Felicity, not his."

"I'll deal with you when you get back." she bit off and threw the comm link on the desk.

"How could you let him go out there? Hurt and not thinking straight, and without all the intel? I didn't realize that's how we did things now." she was upset and pissed that they'd once again wrapped her in cotton wool and kept her pushed to the side. "I thought I was a part of this? The brains part! The part that keeps you from getting blown up!"

"You think I could have stopped him?" Digg threw back, eyes narrowing.

"No. Oliver does what Oliver wants to do. But you could have involved me so I could have at least tried." she spat, lips drawn into a tight line.

They both stilled and listened as more units were called to her building. She turned the chair and propped her elbows on the edge of the desk, hands steepled in front of her face as she waited to hear if there would be an explosion or not.

For twenty minutes they sat in silence, listening to the police scanners as her building and every building in a two block radius was evacuated. Hundreds of people were displaced as the bomb squad made preparations to enter her apartment. She couldn't help but think of her belongings, all the things that made up her life, and wonder if she'd ever see them again.

When she heard the order that the building had been secured and the bomb easy enough to diffuse by cutting through a wall to access the interior of her unit she let out a long breath and slumped forward, fingers pressing into her temples.

Digg sighed next to her and climbed to his feet. "Oliver should be back any minute. Call me if he isn't."

She knew he was leaving before Oliver got back because he didn't want to bear witness to the dressing down.

"Chicken.." she muttered under her breath, knowing he'd heard her as his step stuttered for a brief second, but then the door was shutting behind him and she was left to wait.

It was less than ten minutes before she felt a cool draft from her left. She knew it was Oliver even if she didn't hear him. She kept her eyes firmly fixed on the screen and didn't turn to look at him until she could see him standing only a few inches away in her peripheral vision.

There was a long pause where neither of them gave ground. The tension was thick and she could feel her fingers moving and see the images on the screen change but she wasn't sure what she was doing.

The longer the silence dragged on the angrier she became until finally she couldn't take it any longer.

"Thank you," she said heavily, "Those are the two words you're looking for. Since I just saved your ass in a pretty spectacular fashion."

She still stared straight ahead at her monitors but she felt him shift beside her and when he leaned towards her with a low rumble emanating from him she snapped. With a start she was pushing from the chair as she swiveled to face him. Her leg and side twinged with pain but she ignored it best she could.

"No!" she barked, standing to her full height and finally looking at him. "Why would you do that? Why would you go off on your own without all the intel? You're smarter than that! Why didn't you wake me or just wait? You're not lone man on the island any longer, Oliver, so stop acting like you are!"

His face was drawn into a scowl and although he had backed up when she stood he was once again toe to toe with her, leaning down slightly, arms held stiff with tension at his sides. "I had an opportunity, I took it! This has gone on long enough!"

"And look where it got you...almost killed!" she retorted, eyes flashing, not even realizing she was lifting on her toes in order to eliminate some of their height difference. "You can't-"

She was cut off as his hands clamped down on her upper arms, solid, but mindful of her bruises. And when he leaned over her further her heels dropped down to stand flat on the floor. "I can," he said low and gravely, and with the barest hint of control. "I can because he has tried to kill me twice now to get to you and that is something I cannot allow to happen."

There was a tremor in his voice she'd never heard before, and in an instant her anger dissipated.

He was scared.

She'd never seen him scared before, and the knowledge that is was about her, for her, made her chest tighten.

He still had that torn, haggard expression on his face and she needed it gone. Felicity slid herself forward until her chest was pressed into his front. His hands eased around her arms, and she felt a tingle shoot through her as his gloved thumb rubbed a small circle near her elbow.

When her hand came up to cup his jaw she waited for him to relax into her touch before she pushed up and kissed him.

She'd meant for it to be soft, and simple, and comforting.

But for Oliver it must have been the catalyst he'd needed.

His arms wrapped around her as he crushed her to him, mouth capturing hers almost desperately. This was unlike any other kiss they'd shared. He seemed primal as he all but devoured her. She clutched his shoulders, the cool leather slick beneath her fingers as he held her impossibly close. His mouth moved over hers hot and wet and all she could do was cede as he overwhelmed her in the best possible way.

There was a hand woven through her hair, the other splayed over the center of her back and she could feel the heat of his palm through his glove and the thin fabric of the shirt she'd borrowed from him.

She moaned low in her throat as his tongue tangled with hers, heart flipping in a near constant rhythm as long slow swoops of desire curled in her belly.

Her hands ran across his shoulders and inwards to his neck as she slid her fingers against his skin, stroking down until she came to the zipper that kept the jacket closed. She didn't think as she pulled it down, until she hit the leather strap of his quiver. With a frustrated growl her fingers moved blindly to the buckle, fumbling until she had it loose. The quiver hit the hardwood with a satisfying thunk, the clatter of arrows spilling over the floor making her shiver. She had to push back into his hold to make enough room between them to slide the zipper of the jacket all the way to the bottom.

She wasted no time in slipping her hands under the now open jacket, warm flesh and muscle under her fingers making her groan in appreciation as he shuddered from the sensation.

The hand on her back slid lower grasping her hip to pull her into his pelvis where there was no doubt to how much he wanted her just then. She gasped into his mouth as his lips trailed across her jaw and down her neck, sucking at her pulse point while needy little noises escaped her.

When he nosed the collar of the shirt out of the way and nipped at the hollow of her throat she couldn't help the way her nails dug into his sides. Oliver let out a growl and the next thing she knew his hands were slipping over his ass and under her thighs, lifting her in one smooth motion.

A short breathy 'Oh' fell from her lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The stitches pulled but she barely noticed. He skimmed over her bandage and kissed his way back to her lips, "You okay?" he muttered into her and she could only nod sharply and let out a sound of vague agreement.

All the blood in her body seemed to be rushing straight to her core as she rocked into him making them both groan.

His hand was under her shirt now, firmly running up her spine. When she felt the leather of his glove stutter over her skin she realized she needed to feel his hands on her.

She leaned back in his sure grip and let her hand follow his arm to where his palm cupped her right hip, kneading the flesh. Knowing he'd never drop her she pulled his hand away and drew it between them, eyes locked on his as she undid the closure of the gauntlet, biting her lip to control a small smirk as yet more arrows fell to the ground even if those were the shorter darts.

When that obstacle was gone she found the velcro at his wrist and separated it before she pulled the tight fitting leather from each digit until she could let it fall away forgotten. His fingers flexed before they trailed lightly over her cheek.

The gasp that came from her filled the room. It felt like a thousand sparks of lightning had flowed from his touch. Heavy eyes fell shut as she turned into his palm and pressed a kiss there, then he was pulling her back into him and claiming her mouth again.

When she needed air she dragged her lips from his, the dark pools that used to be his normally bright blue eyes made her stomach flip. She tugged on his other arm and he knew what she wanted. Easily he switched arms and she had to grasp tight to his jacket as his now bare hand was pressed into her like a brand.

With the second glove she didn't take her time, she undid it and ripped it from his hand as quick as she could, moaning a low 'yes' when he went straight for her shoulder, pushing the shirt aside as far as it would go.

Her head fell forward weakly, as she gave him as much access as possible. His bare chest beckoned from the opened jacket and she pushed at both sides of the heavy material, loving the aggravated grunts he made as he shrugged out of one side and then the other, the leather catching at his elbows.

"Better," she breathed out, not caring that it wasn't completely off, hands roaming over his pecs and down to his abs, feeling how the muscles rippled under her touch.

The shirt she wore was now rucked up around her middle, the only thing separating them her thin cotton underwear and his leather pants.

Both his hands were on her now, one running across her abdomen, making her twitch and jerk into him, the other still moving over her back, leaving trails of fire in it's wake.

She hadn't even known he'd been undoing the buttons on her shirt until he peeled one side back and was cupping her breast.

A keening moan left her at the contact. She arched into him, grimacing at the pull in her side but it wasn't enough to keep her wanting him to touch her more.

"Felicity…" it was a question, and he stilled as he asked. She knew if she said to he would stop right then.

Her hand snaked around the back of his neck and she used it as leverage to roll her hips into his, "Don't stop," she said breathlessly, groaning at how right the pressure was against her center.

The fingers on her hip dug in tight as his thumb swirled circles first over the edge of her underwear and then dipping underneath to find her hipbone. Unintelligible noises left her throat as her mouth fell open, waves of pleasure flowing through her.

She found his mouth and then his jaw, leaving a path of small nips and flicks of her tongue as she made her way down to the spot where shoulder and neck would meet. His head fell back with a growl as she sucked and laved the small dips and hollows, running her tongue along the tight, corded muscles like she'd always wanted to. Her name came from him so low and deep it no longer sounded like her name.

When his thumb cut over her nipple she moaned, mouth falling open as she now lay limp against his shoulder. Every touch, every pull, every roll of that small bit of flesh flooded her mind with desire and sent bolts of pure heat straight to her core.

His lips coasted over her ear making her shiver in anticipation as he once again worked his way down her neck, this time using his teeth to drag the shirt out of the way. When her entire shoulder was exposed he dropped slow hot kisses across the newly exposed flesh, leaving her to twitch and moan as electric surges seemed to shoot from each place he touched her.

Chest heaving, breathing labored, she let her hands roam, nails raking down his front loving how he reacted to her. When her fingers hit his waist she had a new mission. The leather belt that held the thigh quiver in place was in her way and she felt a flush of irritation as she had to struggle to eliminate yet one more obstacle.

He sucked air through his teeth when he felt her fingers working between them. She pulled back far enough to give him a triumphant grin when she undid the closure and began to work on his pants. The hand he slid over her ass, cupping and stroking so close to where she needed him was enough to still her actions for a moment.

She had just gotten the top of the pants open to slide her hand under the waist, discovering the hard line of muscles that cut in from his hips, and gave him a devious smirk when there was a loud knock on the door and the sound of the handle being moved, "Ollie!" Thea's voice called out, slightly muffled through the wood.

Felicity's head fell forward with a curse to press against his shoulder. "Thea! Don't open that door!" Oliver yelled out, the combination of anger and frustration at the interruption making his words ring in the space.

"Sorry," he said into her hair and she nodded once, reluctantly removing her hand from inside his pants, making sure to drag her nails over his skin as she did, feeling him shudder one more time.

He let out a sharp breath, hands tightening on her waist before she let her legs fall from around him, unable to keep a string of whimpers from escaping as her thigh throbbed and her breath caught. She had to lean against him for a moment as her head spun and she felt more than heard a low grumbling come from his chest. "Maybe I'm not so sorry now." he said darkly, hand coming up to cup her face, "You're still hurt."

She sighed heavily, "You don't know how much I regret that,"

Palms slid around her hips and then lower, to pull her into him, "I think I've got an idea." he said in her ear and she gave a groan as she stepped back and began to rebutton the shirt.

"You...change, I'll get rid of Thea." she offered, taking one more second to see him standing in front of her in nothing but his leather pants half undone, thigh quiver hanging partially detached, jacket pushed off his shoulders, and felt her heart stutter. She made a garbled noise and ran a hand through her hair before she forced herself to turn.

Just as she reached the door she pivoted and waved her hands frantically at the ridiculously sexy sight of his quiver and arrows strewn all over the floor, "And clean that up!"

Felicity opened the door only wide enough to slip out, "Thea, hey, what's up?"

The younger girl just raised an eyebrow in an incredulous look. "I came by to see if you two had seen the news. They think that psycho has set another bomb in an apartment building."

Roy coughed behind her, "I don't think they were watching the news." he said with a sheepish grin that she knew he didn't mean, "Sorry, Barbie, but…" his eyes cut down and she followed to see that in her haste she'd misbuttoned the shirt.

"Ew," Thea said with a wrinkle of her nose, "But also, I told you so! You too were way too handsy to be 'just friends'. And when I walked by earlier I heard all the yelling which, you were obviously just making up for, and again, ew."

Felicity didn't know what to say and could only try and shift from foot to foot, only managing one exchange before her leg let her know why that wasn't a good idea.

"Anyways, I really didn't come here to interrupt things I don't want to know about interrupting. But I thought you might want to know." she said with a shrug,

"Thanks, and...yeah...it's my apartment building. My apartment actually so...we know." the reminder of what was currently happening across town had a sobering effect.

"Oh my god!" Thea exclaimed, "That's horrible!" she grasped Felicity's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

The door behind her was suddenly wrenched open and she swiveled her head to see Oliver, now in a t-shirt and sweats braced in doorway, "Thea...Roy…" he said

"Thanks for putting pants on, always appreciated." Thea said with a smirk, earning her a glare from her brother,

"Everything okay?" he asked, ignoring her comment.

"I just didn't know if you guys knew about the apartment, it's on the news, but Felicity said...well, it's her place so...sorry, didn't know."

His hand dropped to her lower back and she leaned back into his touch, seeking his warmth and support.

"Yeah, we know. Detective Lance called when they got the tip." he lied easily and she would have to remember to tell him later it had sounded believable.

It was Roy who broke the silence, "Okay, well, we'll just let you get back to all that news watching then."

Thea gave her one more sympathetic smile, "Night,"

Oliver drew her back into the room, shutting it firmly behind them and she looked around, amazed to find no trace of anything Arrow related.

"Where did you…" she trailed off and waved a hand in the direction of where they'd been standing,

"Safely away," he assured her, coming up from behind and wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back with a sigh and let herself melt into his chest.

They were quiet for a long moment before she let out an irritated grumble. "What?" he asked, lips low near her ear.

She sighed again and turned, hands resting easily on his arms as she looked up at him through her lashes, "Nothing, just...I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to help you out of the pants." her voice was purposely breathy and a shiver shot through her at how quickly his eyes darkened with desire.

His hands slid around her back and pulled her in close, her head coming to rest just under his chin, "Trust me, I'm disappointed too." he said throatily,

She leaned back slightly, "Don't worry, I'll get my chance."

He cupped her face in his hands as he stared at her intently, "Yes, you will. As soon as you're better."

"Stupid ribs," she muttered just before his lips dropped to hers. The kiss was slow and languid and full of promises.

When he pulled back he pressed one more kiss to her temple and towed her to the couch, flicking on the t.v. as they sat. She curled into his side and they watched the coverage of the bomb removal.

"I don't understand...why rig my apartment to blow? And to make it big enough to take out the entire building…" she shook and felt Oliver's arm tighten over her shoulders. "What if I had gone back home?"

Oliver sighed, warm breath crossing her temple, "He must have known he'd be tracked back there. He's trying to take out anyone who could get in his way now."

They watched in silence for another two hours until Lt. Davis held a short press conference just after midnight and declared the area secure.

Felicity was only half awake when Oliver answered her trilling phone. A few short hums of agreement and the promise to be somewhere in the morning before she was being picked up and carried to the bed.

Too tired to protest she felt him wrap around her, pulling up the covers as he did.

"Who was on the phone?" she mumbled,

"Lance. The FBI is involved now. They want you to come down tomorrow." his voice was tight and she felt like he sounded. All she would do is answer the same questions over and over again; questions she didn't have answers to.

"I don't know what they think I can tell them." she said as she turned so she could lay against his shoulder.

"The initial reports are that it would have taken out the building but it wasn't a professional job. He's not as good as he would like to think he is." Oliver's chest rose and fell sharply as his fingers combed through her hair, "I'm going to get him." he vowed.

She didn't say anything, just lifted her head to press a kiss to his too tight jaw before she fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: WOW! In case you weren't aware, thanks to all of my amazing readers and reviewers, this is the first 'Arrow' story to reach over 1000 reviews! I'm absolutely stunned, and amazed, and completely grateful for every single one of you. Thank you doesn't seem like enough, but I'll say it anyways. THANK YOU!**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. I think it's got some good stuff in in (wink, wink). Please let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!**

For almost three days there was no movement from Nate. It was like he had disappeared, vanished into the ether and out of her life again just as he had been absent for the past seven years.

But every hour that ticked by left her more anxious and worried because she knew that wasn't the case. She knew he was out there somewhere, waiting, and biding his time, and planning something more heinous than anything he had already done.

The first twenty four hours after the bomb scare at her apartment Felicity mostly spent in a drug induced haze. Digg had insisted her ribs weren't going to heal if she kept running around and she ran the risk of a punctured lung if she kept it up. With much grumbling on her part, and crossed arms and hard stares on Oliver's part she reluctantly agreed.

Other than a brief trip to the downtown office the FBI had turned into a makeshift headquarters she hadn't left Oliver's bed much less the mansion.

The meeting with the feds had gone as she had expected, except they requested to talk to her alone which Oliver didn't take very well. She'd assured him she'd be fine and left with the agent without looking back. Less than an hour later they were leaving, although she still hadn't told him they were seriously considering putting her in protective custody. It had taken a considerable amount of talking on her part to convince them it wouldn't be necessary. Thankfully they'd seen her walk in with Oliver and his contingent of body guards.

For once they were lucky. Monroe knew a member of the task force that had been assigned the bombing case. She had a feeling that may have been the only reason she wasn't hustled out a back door into a waiting van and to a safe house. A slight shudder went through her at the thought of what Oliver would have done if that had happened. Which is why she mentioned none of it to him on the drive back to the mansion.

Although it wasn't even noon she had been exhausted and hurting when they returned and she only made two weak attempts at avoiding the pain meds, not missing the way Oliver and Digg exchanged looks over her head.

She woke up later that evening to find the room empty and tried to sneak her tablet to the bed but was caught on her way back. Oliver had quickly snatched it from her hands with a look as he swapped it with a glass of water and two more pills before calling down to the kitchen for a tray. She was awake long enough to eat before she slept again.

However, the next morning she was feeling only a bit achey. When she found she could take a deep breath with just a small twinge she smiled triumphantly and climbed from the bed with hardly any protest from her leg. She thought she might have to admit to Digg that her enforced rest was exactly what she needed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Oliver's voice came from behind her just as she was about to enter the closet.

She turned and gave him an easy smile over her shoulder, "Getting some clothes so I can take a shower and join the land of the living." it was just then she saw he'd placed a tray on the desk, complete with the bottle of pain medication.

"Felicity," he began and there was something off in his tone, something that immediately set her on edge.

"Oliver," she returned as she faced him fully and watched him set his jaw before he spoke.

"You need to rest."

"I've been resting. All day yesterday and all night, and the fact that you're up and dressed tells me it's probably already halfway to noon. I'm better." she stated, hating how her arms came up to defensively cross in front of her but he was throwing off vibes that made her think he wasn't hearing a word she was saying.

"You're not better!" he barked,

She didn't move except to raise both her eyebrows into her hairline as she gaped at him in shock. Something was going on with him. Something she was not understanding, but it still didn't give him the right to talk to her like that.

"I think I'm the one who gets to decide if I'm better or not." she threw back before stalking into the closet and grabbing the nearest articles of clothing she could find.

He was blocking the doorway when she went to exit but she kept walking, hoping he'd step out of the way. But he didn't. Instead he stood his ground and she had to pull up short or risk running into him.

His eyes were a storm of emotion she couldn't decipher and a gnawing pang of worry crawled out of her belly as she considered the possibility something had happened he hadn't told her about.

Without saying a word he snatched the clothes from her and tossed them aside. "Get back in the bed." he ordered,

"I beg your pardon?" the worry she'd just felt was gone in a flash at his action, "You do not get to bully me around, Oliver Queen, that is not how this is going to work." she motioned back and forth between them with her finger. "If you think for a second that just because we're...whatever we are now this is how it's going to be you're delusional. So you can either tell me what the hell is wrong with you or you can get out of my way."

Her breathing was erratic, and she knew her heart was threatening to beat out of her chest, but she didn't dare blink as they glared at each other.

"There is nothing wrong with me," he said between his teeth, "You can't be trusted to take care of yourself. You're not fine. You're not better. So get in the damn bed!"

The last part he yelled so loud it actually made her flinch as the noise echoed in the space of the closet.

"How dare you! _I_ can't be trusted to take care of myself? Are you actually saying those words to me? _You?!_ The one who gets shot and stabbed and puts in his own stitches likes it's no big deal. Oh, and let's not forget the flatlining and needing to be shocked back to life! Or needing CPR because you're technically dead! Yet you think you can stand there and tell me I'm not taking care of myself. That's rich." she was seething now, never had he induced this sort of rage in her before.

His hands clenched at his side and the veins in his neck stood out as he struggled for control. Anyone else would be scared just then but she was the exact opposite. He was being pig headed, and stubborn, and coddling her for no good reason and she had no intention of standing for it.

She narrowed her gaze as she pressed one finger into the dark blue henley he wore, "And I know you haven't been sleeping. I woke up last night and saw you pacing in front of the windows, so whatever is going on in your head right now you'd better spill before you make an even bigger ass of yourself."

"This has nothing to do with me," he said, voice gravelly, nostrils flaring, as he leaned in just that much closer. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, you seem real fine to me." she scoffed, "Yelling orders at me, and not listening to a damn word I've said does not constitute 'fine' in my book!"

"Everything okay in here?" Digg's careful voice came from behind Oliver, causing him to spin suddenly and give her the opening to slip beneath his outstretched arm and stalk into the main room.

Digg's gaze flicked from her to Oliver as he clearly picked up on the tension between them. "I knocked but I don't think you heard me." he quipped dryly,

Oliver's eyes narrowed further, the deep crevice in the middle of his forehead standing out starkly but she just threw him another glare.

"Well, sorry, I had to use my loud voice because _this one_ is insisting on being a neanderthal today!" she said angrily, waving her arm in Oliver's direction.

He stayed stoic, arms crossed over his chest, but she could feel his look burn into her.

There was a long beat of silence before Digg addressed her, "How do you feel?" he asked pointedly,

"Better. Much better." she answered, stressing the words, moving purposely so she was facing Digg and not Oliver.

He gave her an appraising look and snagged the bottle of pills off the tray. At her immediate response to fight him he held up his hand while he slipped the bottle into his pocket, "I still think you need to take it easy. There hasn't been any movement from Samuels, another day resting would do you good."

At the mention of Nate's name and the reminder that he'd been quiet for the longest period since this all started Oliver scrubbed both hands over his face and took three quick strides to the window, his back now to the room, and them.

She was still angry with him, but their conversation after he'd come back from her apartment two nights before struck her hard. He was still worried, and scared, and the lack of information on Nate had to be driving him crazy as he waited for the next attack at any moment.

"I'll be good, Digg, promise." she said, voice much softer than it had been, her eyes never leaving Oliver's stiff form.

"Here," Digg reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a slim black case, "They were delivered first thing this morning."

She opened it up to reveal a pair of glasses exactly like her old ones. "Oh, thank you!" she'd gotten tired of either wearing contacts or nothing since the bomb had gone off in the office. Hurriedly she slipped them on and sighed happily at the correct fit.

Digg shifted next to her, not sure if it was okay to leave and she felt him look between her and Oliver, eyes questioning if they would be alright. Without words she assured him that she'd be okay, and he patted his pocket once to let her know he had the pills if she wanted them.

Felicity didn't move until she heard the door shut and then she crossed her arms in an unconscious mimic of Oliver and waited.

If felt like forever before she saw his shoulders drop and his head tilt forward minutely. "I'm sorry,"

Her feet were moving before her brain had caught up as she came to his side. There was only the slightest hesitation before she raised her hand and let it lay along his arm.

She felt the muscle tense and then relax under her touch as he took two more controlled breaths in and out of his nose and opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, and she could tell he meant it, it wasn't forced, and he wasn't saying it because he thought it's what she wanted to hear, but there was still a bit of steel in his voice and his eyes hadn't softened any.

She waited, not saying anything as he struggled to find the words to explain his behavior. Her patience paid off when he lowered his arms to his side, hands open and not grasped into fists. "He's still out there and we are no closer to finding him, " he began, "I keep waiting for a call telling me there's been a security breach, or to hear the sound of another explosion." his eyes shut again and his head shook sharply to the left as if he was trying to rid himself of the sound only he could hear. "If you're...if you're in the bed I know you're safe." he finished, "I know it's not fair to you. I know I shouldn't have said what I said but…"

She let her hands rest against his abdomen, fingers gently gripping the material of his shirt, "I understand." she told him, blinking suddenly wet eyes, "I don't approve of the growly voice, and the general ordering me about, but I understand why you feel that way. Every night you put on the hood part of me wishes you wouldn't. If I could find some way for you to take out the bad guys while staying in the safety of the lair I would do it in a heartbeat. But...you have to go out. And you have to let me live my life and get out of bed." she said with a slight head tilt that finally got his face to loosen some.

His hand raised, trailing along her arm until he could cup her cheek. Lashes fluttered shut at the warmth of his touch and she allowed herself a moment to enjoy the sensation. When he gently brushed against the frame of her glasses she opened her eyes to see him looking down at her with a much easier expression. "I missed these." he said, nudging the dark frames again and she couldn't help smiling.

"Your Girl Wednesday is officially back," she replied making sure she reached up and adjusted the glasses like she always did. The spark of light in his eyes and small uptick of his lips let her know it was a good choice.

"You're more than just my Girl Wednesday," he said throatily, as his arms wrapped around her, drawing her in close. She took a slow breath and let it out before she sank into his embrace. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear.

"I know," she replied, her lips just brushing his neck as she spoke.

Her hands released the hold they had on his shirt and slid around to his back. He held her tighter and she couldn't resist pushing up on her toes, lips just dragging across his jaw to his ear, "Just so you know, when you yelled at me to get in the damn bed...I was pissed, but...it was also really hot."

A strangled groan left his throat and before she could blink a hand was sliding into her hair as his mouth found hers. She could almost taste his desperation and worry as well as the tension they had both built up during their altercation in the closet.

Her hands left his back to find his chest again, gripping handfuls of his shirt to tug him closer before she angled her head to the right and swept her tongue over his. It took little effort to walk him backwards until the back of his knees hit the low bench in front of the large bay window.

One push and she was now looking down at him. Eyes dark with desire now instead of anger she bit her lip and grinned naughtily before she took her time lifting one knee to place along the outside of his hip.

His hot palm dropped to her thigh and wasted no time skirting north, the thin fabric of the dress shirt she still wore moved aside like it was no more than tissue paper. She braced herself on his shoulders and slid forward before lifting her other leg and settling on his lap.

Oliver's hands immediately spanned her waist, the shirt rumpled beneath his tight grip and the dark swirls she saw in his eyes made her core clench in anticipation. He swiftly tugged her forward until her abdomen was pressed to his chest, his face level with the vee of the shirt.

He didn't waste a second of this new position as hot, wet kisses were laved across the space where the shirt was unbuttoned. Her head fell back as her fingers scraped through his hair, nails digging in with just enough pressure to make him emit muffled moans as his tongue and teeth made their way across her chest.

Her hands fell to his neck, dipping under the collar of his shirt before they slid down his back and gathered handfuls of fabric, pulling upwards almost desperately as she tried to rid him of that barrier. When they'd done this two days ago she'd never barely gotten his hood off and she was not going to fall victim to that oversight again.

He chuckled slightly into her skin before he pulled back, leaving her balancing on her knees as he quickly stripped the shirt over his head. When his hands came back down they went straight for the remaining buttons that kept her covered.

Felicity's hands dropped to his shoulders, and time seemed to still as she slowly and carefully began to map each muscle, each dip, and valley, and ridge that lay beneath his skin.

A gasping hiss escaped her throat when the shirt was fully unbuttoned and she was suddenly pressed against his chest, bare flesh on bare flesh for the first time. Her mouth fell to his ear as he seemed to be acquainting himself fully with her collarbone. When he sucked one particular spot she could only clutch the back of his neck as she sagged into him, high little mewls the only noise she was capable of making.

With a groan she grabbed his face and dragged it up until she found his lips. His hands slid up her back, the shirt falling off one shoulder as his tongue stroked along hers making continuous shots of heat go straight to her core.

Suddenly he was on his feet, hands cupping her ass as her legs automatically crossed at his lower back. A few long strides and they were at the bed, his mouth continuing to move over hers as his hands slipped past the band of her underwear making her back arch, driving her hips into his.

He let out a stuttered groan and quicker than she could blink she found herself placed diagonally on the bed with Oliver pressed on top of her. The welcoming weight of his body washed over her as she writhed beneath him, hips canting upwards uncontrollably seeking out any pressure they could find.

Carefully, almost reverently he plucked the glasses from her face and folded them before he reached across and laid them on the table next to her phone. She smiled at him dopily as her hands skimmed up his arms and across his shoulders.

Now that she had her hands on him she could finally feel the extent of the damage and torture he'd gone through. Scar tissue riddled his back, small thin lines and larger swaths of destroyed flesh ran beneath her hands. Never once did she avoid a mark, avoid a scar, or a burn, if anything she took more time with those spots, making sure she covered every inch. The unmarred skin was smooth, the muscles rippling just below the surface as she trailed her fingers up and down his spine, just delving into the waistband of his pants when she reached his lower back. His pelvis surged into hers and she brought her knees up on either side of his hips, letting him settle that much closer to where they both wanted him to be.

His name fell from her lips on an exhale as he attacked her throat, her hips twitching and jerking up into him as she couldn't control her response any longer. The pool of heat in her belly was quickly spreading, and although her ribs occasionally gave her a stinging reminder that she wasn't fully healed she ignored it easily.

When his hands skimmed her waist and then slowly began to make their way north the breath caught in her chest. His fingers moved over her ribcage with enough pressure to not be ticklish and instead sent shivers of desire coursing through her. Just below her breasts he paused, his thumbs coming in and then up to meet at the center of her chest. In tandem they ran under the curve of her breasts, teasing her by staying inches away from where she needed him the most.

A string of unintelligible words and sounds came from her when without warning the thumbs that had been so slowly driving her to the brink flashed out to cut across her nipples. She was pressed up on her shoulder blades, head falling to the side as she gasped with need. His hands covered her breasts now, fingers alternating between rolling and pinching the sensitive bit of flesh before his mouth dropped down and joined in.

At the first touch of hot tongue to pebbled skin she keened, hands grasping in his hair, his shoulder, the soft duvet they lay upon, anything where she could find the slightest bit of purchase incase she flew away.

Teeth gently tugged her nipple as she pressed into him as tight as she could. His hard length was solid against her center, the thin underwear she somehow still wore and his pants the only thing keeping her from him.

A small cry of desperation left her as her hands scrabbled for his belt. He pushed up some on his elbows, giving her more room to work but her hands faltered as he sucked the nipple into his mouth and swirled his tongue over the tip. She felt a flood of wetness fill her core as the build up inside her grew.

He was the first to hear the trilling of her phone, a long, frustrated growl rumbling from his chest as he released her with a wet pop and raised his head.

"Don't answer that," he ground out, lips nipping their way over to the breast he had neglected.

Her eyes shut in defeat when his mouth began to work it's magic once again, fingers gripping the short strands on the top of his head tightly as the phone stopped ringing. She was gasping, chest rising and falling in short pants when it began to ring again.

On the third ring she pulled her head up and looked down, the sight of him working his mouth over her was almost too much, but the fourth ring made her look to her right where she could just see her phone and the picture that let her know it was Detective Lance calling.

"Shit, it's Lance." she said breathless, hands falling to his shoulders to push him away.

"You can call him back later," Oliver again growled, his hands trailing down her middle and around her navel, making her tremble.

"Oliver...what if it's important," she had to swallow heavily as he took a particularly hard draw on her breast that left her lightheaded. She gasped his name again, her ineffectual struggling coming to a stop as his hands seemed to be everywhere at once. But when the phone began to ring for a third time she knew she couldn't ignore it.

With a grumbling groan she reached sideways, even as his lips did wondrous, devious things to her, only to find her ribs did still have limits and she couldn't quite reach the side table. A hiss of pain escaped her lips as she brought a hand up to cover her side, half laying on top of his hand. "Oliver, my phone."

He didn't make a sound, nor did he stop doing what he'd been doing. He merely stretched out one long arm, giving her a generous view of muscles shifting and straining under lightly tanned skin and snagged the phone.

He dropped it on her stomach and continued on his quest to apparently discover every bit of exposed flesh he could. Sliding down just a bit further he nipped under her breast and over to the side where her injured ribs were to place small, tender kisses across the still bruised area.

She'd never seen this side of him before. He was more free, almost playful, and it made her heart swell to know she was the reason.

"You'd better answer that since you made me get it for you." he murmured into her, his tongue coming out to trace her side making her breath catch just as she swiped her thumb across the screen.

"Detective," she said, voice much higher and more breathless than she would have liked.

_"Ms. Smoak, am I getting you from something? Usually it doesn't take me hitting redial in order for you to pick up."_

She felt her face flush even though he couldn't see her, and when she made the mistake of looking down, the view of Oliver comfortably settled between her spread thighs while he trailed his fingertips dangerously close to her underwear made her throw her head back and gasp as she forced herself to stare at the ceiling and nothing else.

_"Ms. Smoak?"_

"Sorry, Detective, I just ran from the shower." she lied, and hoped it was believable, the soft puff of air that crossed her abdomen at Oliver's scoffing chuckle made her look down and shoot him a glare to which he returned a smirk and began to work his way towards her hip.

_"You feeling better? I came by the mansion yesterday but they said you were resting."_ his normally gruff voice had softened some,

"I am, yes. Much better. Feeling much better...ah," she couldn't help the small noise, high in her throat as Oliver sucked on the thin skin over her hipbone, sending her squirming to the right as tendrils of heat spread out from where he touched.

_"Ms. Smoak?"_

"Ribs are still sore, I just moved funny, that's all." she said too quickly as she finally planted a hand on Oliver's shoulder and pushed while trying to sit up underneath him, but he was too heavy and he looked far too pleased with himself to stop what he was doing.

She gritted her teeth and did her best to ignore him until the call was over. "So do you have any news, Detective?"

Lance sighed heavily and she could almost see him rake a frustrated hand through his hair, _"Nothing new on where Samuels is. But the Feds are good...they've pieced together almost everything that was in the bag. A lot was lost, but what they were able to salvage paints a weird picture. I'll send you the report with the photos. But..."_

She swallowed hard and stilled as he trailed off. Oliver must have sensed the tension in her and the change in her demeanor because the next thing she knew he was drawing together the sides of her shirt and shifting up to lay next to her, looking at her with concern.

"But what, Detective?" she asked nervously,

_"There are pictures of the dead girlfriend, tickets stubs, emails, things like that. But there are also pictures of you. Part of a birthday card you must have sent him. Even what looks like a take out menu he must have snatched from your apartment."_

A cold shiver went through her as she unconsciously pushed up and back until she was resting against the headboard, a hand pressed to her forehead as she tried to process what he was telling her.

"Wh...why would there be pictures of me in there? That doesn't make any sense. I don't…" Oliver's warm hand dropped to her thigh and rubbed it lightly, all of the desire and need between them having vanished with the phone call.

_"Don't try and make sense out of it, sweetheart, you'll only drive yourself crazy. The Feds are talking with his parents now, looking into how exactly he was released but it seems like the psychologist who advocated for his discharge has conveniently taken an extended leave of absence from work."_

"Of course he has," she said dejectedly, "I'll go over the photos and let you know if I notice anything."

_"I'll be in touch. Take care of yourself."_ he ordered before the line went dead.

Her head fell back with a sigh as she closed her eyes and just breathed. For a glorious twenty minutes she'd forgotten about Nate, and bombs, and stitches, and just knew what it was like to drive Oliver Queen mad with want. Now she felt guilty for taking the past thirty six hours to recover when she should have been doing everything in her power to track Nate down so this could all end.

Oliver tugged her into his side and she curled against him willingly. "What did he want?"

She opened her mouth to reply when her phone chimed with an email alert. With a tilt of her head to the device she tucked herself under his chin, listening to the strong thrum of his heart for a few beats before she answered. "The contents of the backpack have been reconstructed. He just sent me the file with the images of everything they were able to save. He said...he said it's not just pictures of Jenny and memories of Nate's life with her. He also had pictures of me and other things…" a violent shake rocked her and he pulled her in tighter, "I just don't understand."

She felt Oliver bristle under her and his adam's apple bobbed against her forehead as he struggled to respond without getting angry. "There's nothing to understand. He's crazy. He'll show his hand, and when he does we'll get him." he said stiffly,

Felicity nodded, "I know, that's basically what Lance said." and again Oliver tensed. She swatted at his chest, "Don't get irritated because you and Lance agree on something."

He mumbled something under his breath that made her smile as she wrapped an arm across his midsection and hugged him as close as she could. His lips pressed into her hair as his hand rubbed lightly up and down her back. The still open front of her shirt was a very present reminder of what they had just been doing.

The hand that had been rubbing her back in a comforting way had slowed and become lighter, the touch making her skin prickle and little bursts of heat to flare when he reached the bare skin of her leg.

She had just lifted her head to meet his for a kiss when her phone chimed again, a loud knock sounded on the door, and Oliver's phone alerted a text message. Oliver's chest vibrated as he cupped her face and placed a bruising kiss on her lips before he sat back, did up the buttons of her shirt quicker than she could blink, and grabbed his pullover before stalking to the door.

Felicity had barely recovered before he made his way back, a dark cloud now hanging over his head. "Apparently the investors in Dubai are not pleased, and if I want to have a chance of keeping them without hopping on the jet immediately I need to go make some calls."

She gave him a sympathetic look and crawled to the edge of the bed, rising to her knees as he stopped before her. "I understand. I told Lance I'd go through the pictures and see if anything clicks. And there's something weird going on with that psychologist, I'm going to dig into him a little deeper."

He looked like he wanted to say something, maybe about how she should be resting or staying in bed, but he clamped his mouth shut instead.

"I'll take it easy," she placated, hands resting on his chest, "Nothing more strenuous than using my tablet, I promise."

The look he gave her was one of mild disbelief but she just smiled back innocently. "I'll come check on you later," he said

"I'll let you know if I find anything," she replied, letting him know that she wasn't going to be stupid, but she also wasn't going to stay trapped in his room like some sort of medieval princess, even if the Queen mansion did look like a castle.

He let out a sigh and then pulled her in close, mouth slanting over hers until her stomach was flipping and she couldn't think straight. Then without a word he left the room.

"Damn him for being so good at that,"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thank you! Can't tell you how much I love all the comments, and continued support for this story. This is one hell of a chapter so...hang on tight. Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

_Previously in 'Times Like These'..._

_"I'll let you know if I find anything," she replied, letting him know that she wasn't going to be stupid, but she also wasn't going to stay trapped in his room like some sort of medieval princess, even if the Queen mansion did look like a castle._

_He let out a sigh and then pulled her in close, mouth slanting over hers until her stomach was flipping and she couldn't think straight. Then without a word he left the room._

_"Damn him for being so good at that,"_

It took her longer than she would ever admit to calm her thoughts and make some sort of semblance of an attempt at focusing on what she needed to be doing.

She spent nearly twenty minutes on the phone with her mother, assuring her everything was under control. It wasn't until Felicity told her that the FBI was now in charge of the case that her mom calmed down, suddenly placated with that information. She promised to call the next day and then took a long shower to try and settle her nerves.

Standing in the obscenely large closet Felicity eyed Oliver's numerous dress shirts but turned with a sigh and picked up the clothes she'd selected earlier. The ones he'd thrown aside in his pique of anger. She couldn't help the flush that filled her cheeks at the memories of what that short altercation had led to.

Dressed, with her hair in her familiar ponytail, and her glasses in place she felt more centered than she had in days. The monitors on Oliver's desk were all dark, and even though she'd told him she'd only use her tablet she turned everything on and got to work.

As she opened Lance's email and downloaded the file he'd sent she winced noticing he'd used his email account from his job. Once she had the pictures she didn't hesitate to hack into the SCPD internal server and Lance's personal account to scrub any trace of his involvement from the system. With a shake of her head she made a mental note to set him up with a dummy account to use that couldn't be traced to protect both of them.

That small bit of procrastination over she took a deep breath and opened the file containing the pictures. One by one over thirty images appeared on her screen. Each one was tagged with an evidence number and other tracking procedures the Bureau used.

Some were barely more than an inch or two in total, the black charred edges not giving her any idea of what it could have been, others were almost full 3x5 pictures with hardly any damage.

Slowly and methodically she began to go through them one by one. Using image enhancing software she was able to blow each picture up and make sure nothing was missed. The ones that held no evidence whatsoever she deleted, the others she dragged aside for a further look.

As she worked she started separating the pictures into two piles, one of items associated with Jenny and the other of items associated with her. It was chilling, and nerve wracking every time she came across something that she recognized.

In the end she'd discovered her graduation picture from M.I.T that she was certain had been taken from the frame in her hallway, a take out menu to the Thai place she ordered from more often than she should, a picture from her high school yearbook, and a photo of her and Nate that had obviously been trimmed to cut out anyone else.

Heart beating faster she blew the last one up and zoomed in as a shiver ran through her. She was almost certain the picture had been taken at the very family gathering where Nate had begun his suspicious behavior. Their grandmother had demanded all the grandkids pose for the camera and it looked like Nate had made sure he was standing right behind Felicity. In fact, as she zoomed even closer and tapped a few keys the pixels cleared some and she could tell he wasn't looking at the camera at all, he was looking at her.

With a gasp she frantically closed the picture and jumped to her feet, pacing the long length in front of the windows, the sunlight streaming in not doing enough to chase away the cold that she could feel in her bones.

She wiped a shaky hand over her face and took a deep breath before she forced herself to go back to the desk.

Half an hour later she'd gone through the pictures and other items that were connected to Jenny. There was half a ticket stub to a concert venue near their hometown, emails that had been printed, a take out menu to a local diner, and over a dozen pictures that looked like they'd been taken with a cell phone camera.

It felt strange and a bit sickening to be sifting through a dead woman's life the way she was, but the longer she worked the more a nagging voice in the back of her head told her she was missing something.

Frustrated, and tired, and with the beginning of a headache creeping in she let her head fall into her hands as she stared at the screen, looking at the burnt remains for what felt like the thousandth time, hoping they would suddenly show her what she was missing.

There was a dull knock on the door and her heart jumped for a split second at the thought that Oliver had returned but then she realized he would have just come in. The door pushed open to reveal Digg carrying a tray, the sight of which made her smile.

He quirked his eyebrows at her look and purposely sat the tray on the coffee table and not on the desk, knowing she didn't like food near her equipment.

"Come to rescue the princess from her tower?" she quipped,

He snorted a laugh as he approached, "That depends, am I the knight or the dragon?"

"Definitely the knight," she replied with a smirk,

His eyes lit up, "So that would make Oliver…"

"Oh he's the dragon, no doubt." smiling at the image of a cartoon dragon Oliver in her head, "Can't you just see the smoke coming out of his nose and the way his eyes would roll up in his…" she trailed off at Digg's bemused look, clearing her throat as a new image of Oliver's dragon tattoo came to mind as well as how she'd had her hands all over it earlier.

She spun her chair his direction and clasped her hands in front of her, "I'm guessing you didn't actually come here to spring me from my prison."

"I ran into the housekeeper bringing the tray up and thought you could use some company, Oliver's still on the phone."

Felicity nodded once, "Yeah, I figured."

"So, have you found anything?" he asked, coming to stand next to the desk, hands in his pockets as he waited patiently for her to respond.

With a sigh she turned back and brought all the images up on the screen. Digg let out a long whistle as he took in the pictures. "Not much to go on."

"Not really, makes me wonder what was destroyed." she said, tapping a few more keys as the images arranged themselves into the two groups she'd broken them into from earlier. "I get why he has these things from his girlfriend, I mean, it's creepy but I get it." she pointed that grouping out to Digg and then moved over to the other one, "But I don't know why he's got stuff about me in there as well."

Digg sucked in a long breath as he leaned forward for a better look, "He's obsessed with you, does there need to be another reason?"

She shook her head and moved back to the images associated with Jenny, "I'm missing something…"

He dropped a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed once, "How about you eat and come back to it. The break might help."

Felicity took off her glasses and rubbed her tired eyes, "I've been on a break for the past thirty-six hours," she protested,

"And that data isn't going anywhere, especially in the next twenty minutes while you get something to eat."

Begrudgingly she followed him to the couches and ate obediently while he filled her in on what she'd missed the past day and a half.

The sandwich she'd only had half of was sat down when he suddenly got serious.

"You didn't tell Oliver about the protective custody, did you?"

Her eyes locked on his as her stomach dropped, "How did…" she began and then stopped. "Monroe," she finished for herself.

Digg nodded, "He said it took a lot of talking on his part for them to let you leave."

"You can't tell Oliver...I can't even begin to imagine…"

Digg held up a hand to stop her, "I know, trust me. Monroe is pretty perceptive. He told me he didn't think Mr. Queen would have approved of such an arrangement."

Felicity let out a soft sound of agreement, "That's putting it mildly."

"I don't see any reason he needs to know. Not right now." there was an unspoken understanding between them as to how much this was affecting Oliver.

She let herself sink back into the cushions with a sigh, "I just wish I could figure out Nate's next move. It doesn't make sense that he's been quiet for this long. And the things in the backpack...why did he want me to see them? There wasn't a bomb in that one. Those items were chosen purposefully, but why?"

Felicity shut her eyes, pressing her fingers to her temples as she mentally brought up the images again in her mind. Long forgotten memories were nagging at her, begging her to remember something important.

With a gasp she sat up, catching Digg's attention as her mother's voice floated in her head.

_'They didn't even make it to the diner.'_

It was from the phone call she'd received at school to tell her about the accident.

"What did that enormous brain of yours just figure out?" Digg asked as she made her way back to the computers.

"Not sure...just something I'd forgotten but...it could mean something." she said distractedly as she pulled up everything associated with Jenny.

The diner menu and the ticket stub stood out and she focused on those first. It took a quick web search to discover the diner had closed a few years back. The concert gave her more trouble, but finally she'd figured out it had been only the day before the accident.

With a growing pit of ice in her gut she looked at the photos again. At first glance they hadn't seen anything more than candid shots, but now as she looked with new eyes she saw the pattern. Jenny's hairstyle was the same. In every picture she was wearing winter clothes, and in several she had on the same outfit. The photos had all been taken in the span of only a few days. The days leading up to her death.

Before she announced her theory to Digg she checked the bits of email they'd found. Most were missing anything that held a date, but the few that did, coupled with the scant lines of text supported her idea.

Slowly she turned and raised her eyes to meet Digg's. "Everything in the bag that had to do with Jenny...it wasn't just memories of their relationship...these were things that only surrounded the few days before she died."

Digg's eyebrows raised and he looked from her to the screen asking her to explain.

"The concert was the day before she died. These emails were all sent a day or two before. They talk about the concert, and this one here has the partial date which matches with the time frame." she said, pointing out the evidence. "Also, Nate and Jenny were together for years, they met in high school but these pictures don't span their entire relationship. Look at her hair and her clothes…"

"It's the same," Digg stated,

"Right. I'd guess these were on either his phone or hers and had all been taken just before she died. And then the diner menu...that's where they were going when he wrecked. They never made it."

Digg sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his chest, "I can almost understand that. But then why pick random items out of your place to put in there as well?"

She pulled the two groups up and arranged them side by side. While there were definitely more photos of Jenny, a dawning sort of horror fell over her as she saw the connection. Digg must have seen it as well. His quiet 'Oh', of surprise was the only sound as they both stared at the screen.

Nate had done his best to copy what he had from Jenny with things from Felicity's apartment. Pictures, the menu, the card...they were the closest way he could parallel the two women and draw a connection between them.

She'd known he was trying to replace Jenny with her in his mind. The hair dye, the calling her by the wrong name...that wasn't a new revelation. But seeing those items in front of her, as such a stark representation of how fractured his psyche was scared her in a way she hadn't been scared before.

Digg stepped closer to her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "You okay?"

Felicity took a shuddering breath and closed the screen before she answered, "Yeah, I…"

"Want me to go g…"

"No!" she cut him off quickly, knowing he was offering to get Oliver for her, "He's busy. I'll be fine. It's not really anything we didn't already know just…"

"Just that much more crazy," Digg finished and she nodded, unable to speak just then over the lump in her throat.

"You looked into the doctor that let him out? Something isn't adding up there."

"No, not yet. But it's definitely on my list. Nate must have found something out about him. I'll look into his life, see what I can find. I only did a basic search earlier to see if there was a personal connection to Nate or his parents but there must be something else."

"Need me to hang around?" he offered and she smiled at the gesture,

"No, I'll be okay. If I find anything I'll let you know."

"Don't work too hard." he ordered and she waved him off with half an eyeroll,

As soon as Digg was gone she sent Lance a text, informing him of what she'd figured out and to tell him not to send her information through the city's servers again. He replied with a thanks and an acknowledgement of her warning.

That done she pulled up the initial search she'd done on Dr. Brian Howard, psychologist. She had his social security number, education history, addresses for the past two decades, and a copy of his driver's license but nothing that actually told her who he was.

Two hours later she found herself padding down the main staircase of the Queen mansion with Monroe following in her wake. Barefoot, tablet clutched to her middle as she tried to will her stomach to settle over the horrific things she'd discovered, she worried her lip as she made her way down the steps. She knew exactly what Nate had used against the doctor and why he was all too willing to help him get discharged.

She hadn't been able to handle compiling a file with the images she'd pulled from Howard's personal computer. But she had sent Lance a text suggesting it would be in the Bureau's best interest to get a warrant for his house.

The mansion was mostly quiet as she made her way through the foyer. She'd passed by the large, formal study on the main level of the house only once before, but she remembered where it was and assumed that's where she would find Oliver.

Already beginning to speak as she pushed her way in she didn't expect to see his mother perched on the edge of a leather couch while Oliver stood stiffly behind the desk.

"Oliver, I did some digging into the psy…." two heads swiveled her way, Oliver's giving a sharp shake Moira couldn't see and Felicity swallowed the rest of her words. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." she said nervously, shoving her glasses up her nose and looking at her tablet quickly to make sure any screens to do with Dr. Howard had been closed.

"Felicity! Oliver said you've been resting. How are you feeling?" Moira asked immediately,

"Oh, fine, better. Much better actually." she replied, eyes flitting quickly to Oliver, it only taking a glance to see he looked even more stressed and worn than he had seemed earlier.

"I'm glad to hear it." Moira said with a smile, "Now, was there something you needed Oliver for?"

"No," Felicity said quickly, "I mean yes, or I wouldn't have come in here looking for him obviously, but it's nothing that can't wait." she knew Oliver would know she'd come to see him about something to do with Nate and that they didn't need his mother asking questions as to how Felicity knew how to hack servers on the other side of the country.

"Then in that case please, join us. I have a feeling you should be here for this anyways." Moira gestured to the wing chair across from her and Felicity felt like she had no choice but to sit.

A flush of shame came over her as she realized her break the past day and a half hadn't just been from searching for Nate, but also from her actual job as Oliver's EA, and at a time when he needed her the most.

"I'm sorry, of course. I'm sure there's paperwork and phone calls, and meetings and...I'm sorry I should have been here." she stammered, unable to look at either of them.

She didn't hear him move, but suddenly his warm fingers were wrapped around her wrist and she was being guided to the chair. "Felicity, it's okay." he said sincerely as she sat, his hand slipping down a few inches to squeeze hers before he pulled away and made his way back to the desk.

Moira looked like she was going to apologize or comment on Felicity's reaction but instead she folded her hands over her knees and got back to business, something that Felicity was grateful for.

"The Board of Trustees called earlier and asked that Oliver attend an event this weekend, tomorrow actually. It's being held out in the foothills about an hour from the city, a winery one of our investors owns." Moira explained, ignoring the ticking muscle in her son's jaw.

Felicity nodded, "I remember, in fact I sent back the R.S.V.P a few weeks ago that said he wouldn't be attending." Oliver hated those events, especially ones that took him out of Starling.

Moira tilted her head towards Oliver, "I understand, but they're hardly going to say he can't come."

"Mom, I explained to you I can do more good for the company by staying here. The police have already said the building is ready to be opened back up tomorrow, it will look better if I'm there when the doors are unlocked." he protested.

Moira's hands were up in a placating fashion, "Darling, I know, but you can't be in two places at once and you arriving at the office to greet the employees can wait until the start of the work week."

Felicity turned on her tablet and tapped a few screens before she held it so Oliver could see. "I'm sure you've seen this but...this is the three day trend for QC stocks." she winced as she looked at the graph and the steadily declining line. "We're starting to plateau, which I guess is better than the current nosedive but...anything that helps the investors feel more secure seems like a good thing to me."

Moira smiled at her proudly while the furrow between Oliver's eyes only deepened. He shot her a look of betrayal and she gave him a small shrug. She knew the real reason why he didn't want to leave the city, but she wasn't going to let him sink his company over something she had brought to their doorstep.

"Felicity," he began tightly, that one word, as always, conveying more than her name. "I'm not sure that being gone right now is the safest idea."

She swallowed heavily and closed the NYSE app before she looked up at him, "There hasn't been any movement, and we'd only be gone for the day...if anything it's safe because we have no connection to that place and he doesn't know we're going to be there."

She felt anxious talking about this in front of Moira, but Oliver didn't seem to care. He circled the broad, heavy piece of furniture and came to stand in front of her, moving to cross his arms as he stared down at her but she raised one eyebrow and silently asked if he planned on having another altercation like the one they'd had that morning.

With a grunt his arms fell to his sides and he leaned back to rest against the front of the desk, letting out a long breath as he did.

A quick look sideways let her know that Moira had found their exchange amusing if the glint in her eye and small upturn of her lip was any indication.

"You can't keep me trapped here forever." she said with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood somewhat, but the dark stormy expression didn't leave his face.

"If we had some idea of where he was…" Oliver started and then cut himself off,

"It'll be okay. We'll leave before noon. You can hobnob with the investors, do a little wine tasting, make everyone see you're fine and QC is in good hands and we'll be back before dark."

Moira clapped her hands and stood, "Perfect! I'll call the Board and let them know. Thank you, dear." she directed at Felicity, and before Oliver could say a word she had swept out the door.

He turned wide eyes Felicity's direction, "Did you...just gang up on me with my mother?" his slightly gobsmacked look had her pressing her lips together to keep from smiling.

"That wasn't my intention but...it seemed to be effective." she admitted,

His head hung low and she bit her lip in worry, not knowing if he was upset about the change in plans or just stressed and worried about everything.

Slowly she rose to her feet, leaving the tablet in the chair as she crossed the few steps to stand in front of him. She slid forward until she was in between his spread legs, blue painted toenails digging into the plush persian carpet underneath her. Her hands found his waist and then his face as she cupped his jaw and directed his gaze up until their eyes met. "Talk to me," she said quietly, but he remained silent.

"Oliver, you need to do this. The company has taken a hit. We've barely recovered since the Glades, and it was only in the projections for the last quarter that we were seeing a profit. If that doesn't come through investors are going to be leaving in droves and we can't afford that. I know you don't want to go to this thing under regular circumstances, which is why I declined the invite without even asking you about it, but things have changed and you've got to work damage control."

He sighed and raised his head further as his hands came to rest lightly at her waist. "I know all of that, I just...the last time…" her heart dropped as she knew what he was trying to say.

"The last time we went out he bombed the plaza," she finished for him as he nodded.

"I need you safe, but I need this over with, and I can't abandon the company…" his eyes fell shut, the small lines at his temples more pronounced than she'd ever seen them.

She pressed up on her toes and let her arms wrap around his neck. "I know," she whispered into his neck as he pulled her in tight to his chest.

"We'll take Digg, and Monroe and everyone else he's hired. I'm leaving nothing to chance." he said gruffly and she hummed her agreement.

For a long moment they were quiet and she let herself sink into his embrace, feeling the warmth of him seep into her as he held her close.

"You found something?" he finally asked and she jerked back with a gasp, as an icy coolness filled her.

"Uh, yeah, I did." she said with a shudder, stepping away to grab her tablet.

"I went through all the images Lance sent of the items in the backpack and figured out the connection there. I'll show you next time you're upstairs." she said as she found the files she wanted and pulled them up.

"After that I started looking into the psychologist who advocated for Nate's release. Dr. Brian Howard seems like a pretty normal guy until you start digging." her lip curled as she remembered what she'd found on his personal network.

"What did you find?" Oliver asked, coming to stand at her side,

"It's not pretty. It's no wonder Nate was able to blackmail him. Howard probably would have done anything to keep this under wraps."

Without waiting any longer she opened the last file and showed it to him, "He has a thing for young girls, and the younger the better." she said in disgust as she flipped through picture after picture of little girls in various amounts of clothing.

Oliver's eyes narrowed and she saw his hands clench as he went rigid next to her, "Child porn?" he bit out, and she could only dip her head as she made the images disappear as quick as she could.

"I found it on all his devices. He'd tried to wipe the history about six months ago on his phone and his tablet but...it was still there. And his home computer…" a shiver of revulsion went through her, "You don't want to know what I found."

"So somehow Nate found out about it and then…"

"He had to have been planning this for longer than he was blackmailing the doctor. I don't know. Maybe he was willing to wait until the opportunity presented itself, regardless of how long it might take." it frightened her to think he was able to be so patient. "And Howard's gone now. Cleaned out his bank account, dumped his car in long term parking at the airport, and hasn't used his passport or credit cards. He could be anywhere."

Oliver scrubbed a hand over his face before he spoke, "We need to find this bastard. Both of them."

"We will," she assured him, turning so she could run a hand down his arm. His hand snaked around her waist and drew her to his side.

"Call Digg, tell him to do whatever it is he needs to do. I've already passed all this on to Lance and the F.B.I. Now I need to put on my EA hat and put together profiles on the investors you need to meet with tomorrow. We'll have time to cram in the car on the way there."

Oliver shot her a look but she just gave him an unsympathetic shrug, "Sorry, even hero CEOs have homework."

The grumble he emitted let her know he wasn't thrilled with the plan but she didn't hear him suggesting a better one. She turned in his arms so she was facing him, head tilted back so she could meet his eyes. "It's going to be okay,"

"Promise me," he said suddenly and with such force it almost took her breath away,

"Oliver…"

"Felicity," he countered in the same tone and she wanted nothing more than to be able to ease his burdens. She brushed her fingers over his temples and into his hair, able to feel the fine tremor of emotion that rolled through him.

She answered him by pushing up on her toes and pressing her lips to his.

The kiss was slow and unhurried, but more intense than any kiss they'd shared before. She could feel it in her toes as his lips moved over hers, like he thought it might be his last chance to kiss her.

When they finally separated tears pricked her eyes and she slid down his chest until she could lay her head over his heart. She rose and fell as he let out a great exhale, his arms banding about her until she almost couldn't breathe from how tight he held her.

Reluctantly she pushed back, and then made herself exit his embrace. "I know you've got work to do, and so do I." she said almost hoarsely, and the look he gave her made her stomach flip, "I'll see you later."

Before she could either break down in tears, or run back and jump him until they did inappropriate things on his father's desk she forced herself to turn and walk out.

Monroe was still stationed outside the door and he fell into step behind her as she headed for the stairs. Once they were far enough away that even Oliver's preternatural hearing couldn't pick them out she turned to the agent. "Thank you for not telling Oliver about what the Bureau wanted to do."

He nodded stiffly, "It did not seem like it was in Mr. Queen's best interest at the time, and Mr. Diggle agreed."

"As do I. We didn't need to add Oliver breaking me out of a federal safehouse to our list of things to deal with this week." she said under her breath and then winced, "Not that he could have. But he probably would have done something that would have brought more bad attention to the company and we've got enough of that already."

Monroe was silent and she gave him a tight, uneasy smile before she continued down the hallway to Oliver's room.

The quiet of the space was welcoming, and she quickly made the decision to grab her laptop and climb in the bed with it and the tablet instead of sitting back at the desk.

It was actually a sort of comfort to be able to let her mind focus on something relatively normal. After spending the afternoon hacking into a computer filled with things she never wanted to see again, losing herself in putting together profiles on the rich men they'd be rubbing elbows with the next day was a task she appreciated.

She focused on the venue first. The private winery was east of Starling City, in a secluded, exclusive area. Soon enough she had satellite images of the property, blueprints of the main building and the outbuildings, and a fairly comprehensive list of pictures that had been taken inside that would give them a better idea about the layout of the place they'd be going to.

After she'd sent that batch of information on to Digg she settled back against the pillows and began working her way through the guest list.

Three hours later she'd fallen asleep as the sun had set and the room had darkened. But she knew everything about everyone who would be there. If Oliver needed to know the name of their wife, the depth of their stock portfolio, which candidate they'd supported during the last election, or what soccer team their kid played on she knew.

She woke up to the laptop being taken away from her and she protested weakly, her eyes still too heavy and tired to bother opening. A familiar squeeze of her hand let her know it was Oliver, and she gave him a sleepy smile.

When she felt her glasses being slipped off her face and a hand raising her neck far enough to work out the band holding her hair back she tried to sit up.

"Shhhh, stay asleep, you're fine." he assured her, lips coasting over her forehead before she felt him step away. She expected to feel the covers being drawn up and let herself sink into the sheets, the pull of sleep too strong, until she was being shifted again and her shirt was worked over her head.

A tiny voice in the back of her head was screaming at her to wake up because Oliver was undressing her, but her tired body and need for more rest was stronger. Even when she felt him undo the clasp on her bra and pull it away she still couldn't get her eyes to open more than a crack. Then her arms were slid into sleeves and she felt the backs of his knuckles brush against her as he did the buttons up the front of one of his dress shirts. Another smile cracked her face at the undeniable conformation that he really did like her wearing his shirts.

Her pants were quickly removed before he tugged the heavy duvet up and laid it over her. She sighed contently and held a hand out his direction, making a noise of protest when she felt him walking away.

"I'll be back soon." he promised, and pressed a kiss to her lips,

It could have been ten minutes or an hour before she felt the bed dip behind her just before long arms reached out to draw her to him. She let out a hum and turned so her head could lay on his chest, one leg thrown over his as she curled into him. He kissed her on the forehead once again, and she fell asleep feeling better than she had in days.

Warm sunlight, a soft hand in her hair, and the steady thud of Oliver's heart under her cheek brought her from sleep. She shifted against him and squinted into the bright light at first seeing nothing but the far reaching expanse of his chest.

Her fingers curled into his abdomen, tracing over the ridges and valleys of muscle as she blinked several times before tilting her head up to see him waiting expectantly.

The tablet was held in his other hand, all but forgotten as it half rested on the bed, but she could see the profiles for the meeting they were going to that day.

"Doing your homework?" she asked, voice a bit gravelly with sleep,

He smiled and leaned over pressing kisses to her hairline and then the bridge of her nose, before landing at the corner of her mouth. "I'm a very good student." he quipped, making her bark out a loud laugh that had him pulling back in mock affront while she scooted up to chase him.

"I don't think anyone has ever accused you of being that. But I guess there's a first time for everything." she said as she draped herself over his chest, arms worming their way around his neck.

"Speaking of first times…" he began, the low tone he spoke with sending an instant heat through her as she knew exactly what he alluded to. One hand slid up her thigh while the other stroked down her back, the tablet now lost in the sheets.

Her head fell forward with a groan, "I'm so sorry. I actually fell asleep on you last night, didn't I?"

"You needed the rest,"

With a shake of her head she sat up quickly and maneuvered so she was straddling his middle, "Nope, no excuses."

His eyes darkened as he looked up at her, hands settled easily at her waist. "I promise, tonight...no interruptions. No knocks on the door, no phone calls. Just you, and me, and maybe a bottle of wine we pick up today if it's any good. If not, I'm fairly certain you've got a cellar we can raid." her breath was a little short and she couldn't help the way her hips rocked into him some as she sat there.

His fingers tightened where they held her and she could see the thoughts that crossed his mind, thoughts that most likely involved forgetting about the meeting altogether and staying in bed all day.

In an instant he'd flipped them and she let out a startled squeal that turned into a laugh. He gave her a broad smile, one that she rarely saw, and cupped her cheek. "I am going to hold you to that."

Felicity bit her lower lip as she stared up at him, "Can't wait," she said in a high, breathy tone.

"Tonight," he repeated and she swallowed once before she replied,

"Tonight,"

He dropped a hot kiss to her lips and then he was lifting off of her as she let out a disappointed groan and rolled to see the time. It was later than she'd hoped and she'd have to hurry to get ready before they had to leave.

An hour later she was rushing to finish. Slipping on her heels she grabbed her bag and slid the laptop in before pulling back the covers on the bed to find her tablet. "We're going to have to have a long discussion about proper care of my equipment." she muttered as she checked the charge on it before tucking it in next to the laptop.

Oliver came up behind her, wearing the grey suit that made his eyes pop as he slid his arms around her waist. "You sure you want to go?" he asked, suddenly very serious.

Her hands dropped over his as she gave them a comforting squeeze, "Yes, my leg hardly hurts and my ribs are good with some over the counter stuff which I already took."

"That's not what I meant," she could feel the tension in him rise as she turned to face him,

The smiles and easy expressions from earlier were gone, once again replaced with stress lines, and furrowed brow. Her hand raised to trace over the ones near his temple but they didn't ease, "Hey, Digg's got it covered. The other car has already left with three agents to set up security on site. We know the layout of the place like we would if this was a mission. I've got you, Digg, and Monroe with me in the car. And most importantly he has no idea we're going to be there."

He sighed heavily and tugged her in even closer. His back felt like iron under her hands and she knew that wasn't going to abate until the day was over and they had returned.

A sharp rap on the door had them stepping apart and she looked around Oliver's arm to see Digg waiting.

"We're ready when you are."

She hitched her bag over her shoulder and felt Oliver's hand settle against her lower back as they walked towards Digg.

Monroe was standing by the car when they stepped out under the portico. "Good morning, sir, ma'am." he said, opening the back door for them,

"Good morning, Monroe," she greeted warmly and entered first, sliding across the cool leather easily.

Soon enough they were heading into mid-day traffic as she pulled out her tablet and began to quiz Oliver on the people he'd have to spend the next several hours with.

The last minute prep gave him something to focus on, and as much as she knew he hated this aspect of his job he'd been around long enough to know how important it was.

It took them longer than expected to get out of the city, but once they were, the roads were open and mostly empty. They'd been in the car an hour when Digg pulled off onto a dirt and gravel road that wound up into the hills where she knew the winery was located.

"It's nice out here." she said absently, staring out the window at the scenery.

"Tuscany is nicer," Oliver said as he flipped through the tablet for the hundredth time, barely looking up.

"Maybe you'll have to take me there sometime," she returned, fully meaning for it to be a joke,

"Maybe I will," he replied, and she turned to look at him incredulously.

The moment was short lived as they rounded a corner and were suddenly thrown forward and to the left as Digg let out a strangled curse.

Oliver's arm came out to press her into the seat, as a stab of fear shot through her.

"Hold on!" Digg yelled before there was huge roar of noise from outside the car, followed by the surreal sight of the front end of the vehicle rising up in front of them before they began tumbling down the hillside.

She screamed as they began to flip, the seat belt cutting into her sharply. Oliver called her name and tried to reach for her but the violent rolling kept him on the other side of the seat from her. She let out a cry of pain as her head slammed sharply into the window, the front airbags already deploying. Everything was spinning so quickly she couldn't make out what was up and what was down and then her head hit the window again and her vision dimmed to almost nothing.

She could have been unconscious for seconds or minutes or even longer. Through half slit eyes she could tell they were almost upside down, her arms thrown over her head, hair obscuring her vision, as the seat belt held her in place. There were no other sounds and no movement from the men around her. A whine of panic filled her throbbing head as she tried to turn and look towards Oliver, but when she did a burst of pain flared across her skull and she saw nothing but black.

Faint noises drew her from the dark but she couldn't get her eyes to open. She heard what sounded like a struggle. Harsh words, and grunts of pain. Two voices that were familiar, but only one that filled her with dread.

There was a loud, sharp retort that made her ears ring and her head pound even harder, and then deadly silence. With great effort she forced herself to open her eyes. What she saw made her blood run cold.

Nate was leaning in the shattered passenger window with blood splattered across his face. When he saw her looking at him he gave her a damaged, brittle smile.

"Hello, Jenny, it's time for you to come home."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Oh Nate. He's such a scary creep. You'll get some answers in this chapter, but not all of them. **

**Thanks for the awesome and amazing continued support and interest in this story! You're all the best! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

_Previously in 'Times Like These'..._

_"Hold on!" Digg yelled before there was huge roar of noise from outside the car, followed by the surreal sight of the front end of the vehicle rising up in front of them before they began tumbling down the hillside._

_She screamed as they began to flip, the seat belt cutting into her sharply. Oliver called her name and tried to reach for her but the violent rolling kept him on the other side of the seat from her. She let out a cry of pain as her head slammed sharply into the window, the front airbags already deploying. Everything was spinning so quickly she couldn't make out what was up and what was down and then her head hit the window again and her vision dimmed to almost nothing._

_She could have been unconscious for seconds or minutes or even longer. Through half slit eyes she could tell they were almost upside down, her arms thrown over her head, hair obscuring her vision, as the seat belt held her in place. There were no other sounds and no movement from the men around her. A whine of panic filled her throbbing head as she tried to turn and look towards Oliver, but when she did a burst of pain flared across her skull and she saw nothing but black._

_Faint noises drew her from the dark but she couldn't get her eyes to open. She heard what sounded like a struggle. Harsh words, and grunts of pain. Two voices that were familiar, but only one that filled her with dread._

_There was a loud, sharp retort that made her ears ring and her head pound even harder, and then deadly silence. With great effort she forced herself to open her eyes. What she saw made her blood run cold._

_Nate was leaning in the shattered passenger window with blood splattered across his face. When he saw her looking at him he gave her a damaged, brittle smile._

_"Hello, Jenny, it's time for you to come home."_

It had been three days. At least that's what she thought, what she had been able to piece together from her foggy memories and half conscious state.

She'd passed out in the car. The shock of seeing Nate there, knowing he'd caused the accident, and that he'd come for her had overwhelmed her system. The last thing she saw was Oliver's prone form slumped in the seat with blood running down his face.

When she'd woken up she thought for half a second she was at the mansion, but then pain washed over her and she remembered Digg's shouts, a bright loud explosion and the car being thrown straight up before they tipped over the side of the road.

Groggily she cracked open one eye to see the interior of a dingy motel room. She didn't dare move as she looked around best she could. Fear made her keep still as her breathing and heart rate rose.

There were two double beds, a rickety table, peeling wallpaper, and a chair that had seen better days. The curtains were thin but dark, and drawn shut over the one window, the only light seeping in from the cracks at the sides. She couldn't tell if it was late in the day or just cloudy and when she finally drew enough courage to turn her head stars exploded behind her eyes making her moan in pain.

As the world spun dizzily she shut her eyes and tried to catalogue her injuries. Her head throbbed brutally, the left side the worst and she had two brief flashes of her head smashing into the window as they'd rolled down the embankment. She was laying mostly on her right, and for that she was grateful, her previously injured ribs were aching again, as was her left hip and ankle, she must have been crushed into the side of the car at some point.

Blinking back open both eyes she narrowed them to slits and tried to look around the room as best she could. A closet was half open, and she could see into the dark bathroom but other than that there was no movement or sound and nothing that seemed odd or out of place.

She seemed to be alone, and she didn't know if that was scarier than having him there or not. A wave of nausea rolled through her and it took her several minutes of laying absolutely still and breathing through her nose to keep herself from getting sick.

There was a strangely familiar, sharp odor that stung as she breathed but she didn't focus on it until she knew her stomach had settled some. Even then it took far too long for her sluggish brain to place the smell. But when it did the bile rose in her throat.

Slowly, she reached up with her trembling right hand and grabbed a lank of her hair, pulling it around so she could see it without moving her head.

Terror choked her and her body went numb when she didn't see blonde, but instead saw the light brown of her childhood.

He'd dyed her hair.

Her vision went white, tiny black spots were all she could see as the blood drained from her face and she just struggled with trying to remember how to breathe.

Nate had caused the accident. The man whose life had broken over a car accident had purposely staged one just to get her. He'd hurt them so he could take her. Her mind reeled, not understanding how he'd known where they would be. And now...she had no idea where she was, no idea if Oliver was hurt or even alive, no idea if anyone was even looking for her, or knew where to start. She remembered the sound of the gun shot though and the blood on Nate's face and panic overtook her.

Her body's flight response kicked in and she found herself trying to scramble backwards, adrenaline overriding any pain or injury she had. She pushed across the scratchy polyester bed cover and tried to fling her legs over the side but she was stopped with a sharp jerk on her left arm.

Felicity whipped her head around to discover that he'd handcuffed her to the headboard.

Hysteria filled her as she cried out in protest, pulling and tugging on her restraint to no avail as tears poured down her face. An inhuman scream of rage and fear tore from her throat, the bed thunking hard into the wall as she pulled with as much force as she could, ignoring the damage she was doing to herself in the process.

She was so consumed by her frantic need to escape she didn't hear the door open behind her. When a hard hand clamped on her shoulder there was no time to react before she felt a sharp prick in her neck and Nate's profile out the corner of her eye as she was rendered unconscious once again.

She spent what she assumed were the next two days in an almost continually drugged state.

She had vague, hazy memories. Images of him standing over her, or watching her sleep. He'd float into her field of vision, blurred at the edges and faceless, looking too tall and stretched thin like a shadow about to disappear into the ceiling as he loomed above her. Sometimes his face would morph and she'd see Barton Mathis, or the Count instead and she'd scream for Oliver until her throat burned and he was forced to leave her alone to keep her quiet.

He let her come out of the drug a couple times a day, enough to eat or use the bathroom. The first time he'd unlocked her cuffed wrist and grabbed her by the elbow she'd almost wrenched her arm out of it's socket trying to get away from him but her body was hurt and impaired, and slow to respond.

She was terrified when he'd guided her limping form to the bathroom hating that she had no choice but to use his support in order to stay standing. When she walked in she thought he might stand there but he let her shut the door for privacy. Barely able to stay upright without leaning on the sink she did have enough presence of mind to search the small space for a weapon, but it was completely empty. He gave her three minutes exactly and then opened the door.

Once a day a change of clothes would lay on the side of the bathtub. Always the same, grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt. It was what she'd been wearing when she'd woken up and the first time she considered how she'd come to be that way she'd ended up on her knees in front of the toilet, gagging.

She'd changed two times, which was one of her clues to how long she'd been there. There was a chance he wasn't giving her food at regular intervals, or adjusting the time in between when he let her change, but she didn't think that was the case.

Her first set of new clothes is when she got a good look at her injuries. Her ribs were still sore, but they didn't seem worse than they had been after the bombing. It was the massive bruise on her hip and her tender ankle that gave her the most trouble. But she knew if she ever had the chance to escape she'd be able to run if she had to. Her wrist had been bandaged from where she'd torn it trying to get out of the handcuffs. She had to swallow past the heavy lump in her throat as she thought about him touching her. Her skin crawled, and she bit her lip until it bled to keep the scream that bubbled up in her chest from escaping.

She'd caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror only once and then avoided looking after that. The brown haired woman that stared back at her looked much too young, too pale, and too frightened to be the person she knew. Wide blue eyes stood out starkly on her wan face. Tiny cuts and scratches, and a bruise near her hairline left over from the accident. Her glasses were missing, and she couldn't remember if they'd been thrown off in the crash. No doubt they had been left in the back of the car along with her phone and bag. She couldn't imagine he'd have taken along anything she could have been tracked through.

When he brought her food she was allowed to sit on one of the chairs as he sat across from her, watching her intently. She never had an appetite and she didn't know if it was fear or whatever was in her system but she forced herself to eat anyways even though she didn't taste a thing. And much like her acknowledgement of her injuries, if there was a chance she could get away she couldn't let weakness from hunger slow her down.

Methodically she'd chew small bites, eyes looking anywhere but at him. She was still fuzzy, her brain too muddled and slow to process anything of importance. It took almost all of her limited concentration to stay somewhat upright and get the food to her mouth. Several times she'd found herself listing to the side, when suddenly he'd have raised a bite of whatever he'd brought for her to her mouth for her to eat.

By the third meal she knew the drug would wear off enough that her foggy mind would clear some at the end of the meal. The use of her arms was more controlled and she thought if she could ever get out the door she'd have a chance.

She'd eaten slowly that time, slower than usual and he'd been more and more insistent with her the longer she took. She let her eyes go slack, staring unseeing at a spot across the floor as he leaned in. Her fingers wrapped around the handle of the fork she held and she struck.

The metal tines glanced off his wrist, her aim slower and weaker than she'd anticipated, and it took nothing for him to swipe a hand and knock it from her loose grip.

She cried as he pulled her back to the bed and the needle slid home once again.

After that she wasn't allowed to use utensils.

When she was awake and somewhat aware she tried not to think about Oliver. She had to believe he was alive. That he and Digg had survived the crash and were looking for her. She'd tried to figure out where she was but she never saw outside the room and there were no sounds of traffic or from neighboring rooms. There wasn't even a phone, although she saw the jack for it so she assumed he'd removed it.

She never saw him leave or return. The food was in nondescript bags and containers, and it was always ready and waiting when she'd wake up. His clothes were changed, although she never saw any indication that he had belongings in the small space, and the other bed never looked slept in.

There was the tiniest bit of hope there. He was leaving, he was interacting with other people in order to buy the food. At some point she had to believe he'd be noticed. But as long as he kept her drugged and weak she'd never get away from him on her own without any help.

The most disturbing part of being held by Nate was that he never talked to her. After he'd spoken at the crash site she hadn't heard him speak again. Even when she tried to talk to him he remained silent.

Her speech had been slurred and slow, the fine motor control she needed to move her mouth and tongue and lips in the correct sequence to form words wasn't always possible. Every time she tried he'd just stare impassively as she struggled.

Late on what she thought was the third day there was a change in him. He was anxious and jittery where before he had always been so strangely calm it unnerved her. There was enough food for two, and after she slowly made her way from the bathroom, feet stumbling as he guided her to the chair she realized he was planning on eating with her.

Even still coming out of her haze she could sense something had shifted. Instead of a carton or a bag there were burgers and fries on plates, bottles of ketchup and mustard, and two cups with straws and lids. He'd arranged the chairs so they faced each other across the table, and even moved over a small lamp from between the beds to give the space more light.

Her heart was pounding so loudly she almost didn't hear him when he finally spoke.

"It's your favorite." he said as he placed her in her seat, the shock of hearing his voice making her jump.

He sat down and gave her a hesitant smile, "I know you prefer the skinny fries, but they only had this kind. I told the guy they should offer a selection but...you know how they are there."

She stared at him through half lidded eyes, trying to understand what was happening. He was talking to her like he hadn't been holding her captive. Like he hadn't blown up her work, and her boss, and wired her apartment building to do the same. Like he hadn't caused their car accident or been drugging her repeatedly.

Her head hung low, the effort to keep it up too much for her just then. Lank hair the wrong color hung in her her eyes and she used it to hide behind, not bothering to try and move it out of the way. She'd been functioning under a steady level of fear since she'd first woken up days before, but Nate's sudden change sent the small hairs at the back of her neck rising because the unknown of what he could do next scared the hell out of her.

Once again she choked down food that tasted like sawdust. She barely had the strength to hold the burger between bites, having to set it down and let her hands lay limp in her lap.

The entire time he ate and talked like everything that was happening was perfectly normal. He rambled on about the band 'they' were going to see, how he was looking forward to a party that weekend and how classes would be out soon for winter break.

When she fully realized what he was doing she gagged, both hands clamped over her mouth as she fought not to get sick.

He was reliving the last few days of his life before the accident.

Voice quiet and shaky, but suddenly feeling more clear headed than she had in days she lifted her chin, "What are you doing, Nate?"

"Eating lunch with my beautiful girlfriend." he said simply, giving her a smile that made her shiver.

"I'm not your girlfriend." she said abruptly,

He just shook his head and gave a wry smile, "You're hilarious, Jen, really, that's what I've always loved about you."

Nate continued eating, dipping fries in ketchup two at a time, and wiping salty fingers on his stained paper napkin looking like reality hadn't invaded whatever world he was currently inhabiting.

Anger washed over her. It was the first strong emotion she'd felt in days besides fear and she welcomed it. She let it fill her veins and build her up, because with every rise of her heartbeat and flush of her skin she felt better and stronger than she had and something inside her clicked. Something told her whatever was happening just then was a turning point and it may be her only chance.

"I am not your girlfriend! I'm not Jenny! I'm Felicity Smoak, your cousin!" her voice was sharp and high, and her pulse pounded furiously in her throat, blood rushing through her ears as she waited to see what his reaction would be.

Trepidation began to creep in as she saw his hand tighten into a fist before his head chin jerked sharply to the left, his eyes shutting tight. "Don't say that,"

His tone had changed. The easy, light one he'd been using was gone and replaced with something hard and disturbed.

She swallowed twice and repeated herself. "I'm not Jenny! I'm Felicity! We grew up together. Summers at Grams house, vacations to that cabin our parents used to share. I'm not Jenny!"

His face began to go red as he clenched his hands so hard he shook. "Don't say that!"

When his head shot up she gasped. His eyes were black and dead. There was no depth, no warmth, just coldness that made her stomach drop.

"Why are you doing this, Nate? What happened to Jenny was an accident, but it was seven years ago. You can't kidnap me. You can't keep drugging me. You have to let me go so you can get the help you need."

He was on his feet, and she threw herself backwards, scared mute.

"Don't say that! I will never go back there!" he screamed, jerking away from the table so hard everything rattled and the chair he'd been sitting in toppled sideways. "I did nothing wrong! It can be fixed! It can be fixed! I just need you to do it right, that's all. Why can't you do it right?" he was pacing now, hands running roughly through his hair as his demeanor became more and more manic.

Shaking, she leaned forward, not knowing how or if she could reach him and reason with him but knowing she had to try, "Nate...I know it's hard...but this doesn't fix anything. I'm not Jenny. I never was. She's gone. You have…"

She never got any farther because she couldn't take her eyes off the gun he had pointed at her face.

It was like a mask had dropped over him. His jaw was set, eyes narrowed, and the twitching, nervous man who had just been talking was gone.

"Dammit, 'Lissy, why couldn't you just for once in your life shut up and do what someone else wanted."

In horror and shock she sat, stock still, unprepared for the sudden shift. "Nate…"

"I can fix it. I can fix it all. I was always good at fixing things. Don't you remember? I'd spend hours in the garage, sometimes you'd even help me, until mom would yell at me for getting dirty. She never understood. Never understood how much it would bother me if I had to go to bed before I got to finish. I'd lay awake and go over every step, every detail. I could always see it so clearly in my mind, every precise movement. It was always the biggest rush the next day when I could finish." a gleam lit his eyes, the first time she'd seen any sort of true emotion in him since all this had started.

"It's just like a puzzle. Each piece has it's place, and no matter how hard you try, if the piece doesn't fit it won't work. You can't force it. I've gone over every step for seven years! You're the puzzle piece I was missing. But now I'm here and so are you and this...this is going to work this time. This time it won't go wrong. I'll get to finish it and it'll all be over."

He practically whispered the final few words and for some reason it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Tears of fear and anger and frustration pricked her eyes as she stared at the man she thought she knew. She remembered him as a carefree kid, who had been spoiled by his parents and always had the latest games and gadgets she couldn't wait to get her hands on. The person who stood in front of now was a warped version of the cousin she had known, and so far removed now she didn't think he could ever go back.

"There's always another way, Nate, always. You don't have to do this." she pleaded,

"No, there's not!" he roared, gun waving as he shook it towards her, "You were always so damn perfect. Straight A's, polite, favorite grandkid...you have no idea what it was like to be constantly judged! To be lauded in public and torn down when you got home because you ripped the knee out of your pants, or forgot to tell the neighbor thank you quick enough. Do you know what I grew up with?! My parents were on my ass from sun up to sun down trying to make me into some faultless version of you! But they were too damn conceited to show that to anyone else so that's the only time I got any praise is when we were out. I mean, what kind of mind fuck is that to a kid?! Explain that to me!"

All she could do is stare as twenty plus years of history began to make sense. She'd never seen any hint that Nate had been anything but doted on by his parents. Spoiled, yes, absolutely. She remembered being jealous of how proud and vocal her aunt and uncle had been about him, every little accomplishment praised until she'd catch herself rolling her eyes when they couldn't see her and feeling bad about it later.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to grow up like that. It wasn't right. But it doesn't justify what you're doing now. Nate, please! I know people, they can help…"

He darted forward in a flash and grabbed her jaw harshly, shoving the muzzle of the gun up under her chin so hard her teeth clanged together. "No one can help me when this is over, especially not you. What you can do is fix this by doing what you're told, " he said it so low and so dark her breath froze in her chest as tears slipped down her cheeks. He gripped her tight until she let out a yelp of pain and shoved her back in the chair before he stalked to the other side of the room.

Her hand came up to lay over the spot where the gun had been, rubbing it in an effort to reduce the sting, but she knew it was going to leave a mark. Mind whirling, she watched him pace and with a sinking feeling she knew her only chance would be to go along with his plan and hope an opportunity presented itself.

"Okay, Nate, okay. I'll help you." she said as quietly and gently as she could,

He stopped sharply and sent her a disbelieving glance, "Don't try and trick me. You've tried to trick me before. But I've proven to you that I'm always a step ahead, haven't I? Finally, I've bested you. You didn't come in first this time did you, 'Lissy?" his mouth twisted cruelly and the bitterness in his tone made her flinch

"I was just trying to stay safe." she said, hating how meek she sounded, but knew it was better than challenging him just then. "How did you know where we'd be?"

Nate just shot her an incredulous look, "Please, you do know your boss is treated like royalty in that city, right? The news covers him and his family more than they do the president!" he scoffed, "But I was ready. I knew someone would slip up. And they did. Preening the other night about how happy they were Starling's prince had recovered and would be attending an event that weekend at a winery outside of the city."

Felicity's blood ran cold as she remembered the conversation she'd had with Oliver and Moira in the study, and how worried the board of Trustees had been about Oliver's public image. She wasn't surprised that one of them had tipped off the press about the trip; anything to boost the company.

"It didn't take much to figure out where you'd be going, and there was only one road in." he shrugged easily, "Wasn't very hard at all. I saw my chance and I took it. And I beat you, little 'Lissy."

She stared at him in horror at how calmly he was speaking, "You could have killed all of us, even me!"

"It was a risk I was willing to take. Queen had you protected so well there was no other option. I didn't have a choice!"

Her mouth dropped open as she looked at him, "You really don't think you did anything wrong, do you?"

"If you had just come with me that first day, or after I sent the package to the office...but you didn't! You didn't listen! I didn't have a choice!"

Whatever was wrong inside his head had convinced him that anything he was doing was justified and that anyone who tried to stop him or didn't do what he wanted was working against him, to the point they needed to be eliminated. She didn't know how or if she would be able to get through to him.

"Nate...can you just listen to me?" she said as kindly as she could, hands raised in front of her, hoping he would take the action as one of submission. The gun followed her, but he didn't seem any more upset than he already was. "I know you think what you're doing is right...but it's not. You tried to kill me, Nate...more than once. You're scaring me, and you're making people who care about me scared too."

He shook his head, faster and faster as she saw the anger rise in him again. "NO! It's your fault! All of this is your fault! I wouldn't have had to rig the building if you weren't hiding! I wouldn't have had to kill that man if you had just come with me."

The world stopped. Her heart stuttered hard, tripping in her chest as her lungs constricted, not allowing any more air to be pulled in as every fear and every thought she'd buried and ignore for three days rushed up in front of her. She'd heard the shot and seen the blood on his face, but she hadn't been able to actually consider what it could have meant. Not Oliver, not Digg, not even Monroe. The idea that he'd shot one of them was not possible so she'd buried it and ignored it and pretended like it had been a dream.

Her mouth formed the words but it took three tries before she was able to gasp out a raspy "No!"

Head shaking violently back and forth she could now only see a monster before her. "NO!" she cried and threw herself from the chair, hardly able to see through her tear filled eyes. Her head buzzed and her body felt so light she was afraid she'd fall straight to the floor. "You didn't! You couldn't have!"

"Where do you think I got this?" he said, half a smirk on his face as he waggled the gun, and a scream of rage and pain tore from her throat.

"He tried to put up a fight, but it wasn't hard. Legs pinned in under the dash like they were I was probably doing him a favor."

"Oh my god!" hands covered her mouth as she stood before him, shaking so badly her knees actually knocked together. One more time the gun flashed in front of her and she looked at it hard, the realization that it wasn't Digg's settling within her with relief while at the same time she knew it meant that Monroe had lost his life.

She whirled from him and took stumbling desperate steps towards the bathroom. If he said anything she didn't hear. The only sound was the roar of noise in her head and the sound of her own retching as she collapsed in front of the toilet.

He grabbed her by the arm and roughly hauled her to her feet but she couldn't feel her limbs, all she could think about was poor Monroe and how he had died because of her.

Nate half dragged her back into the room and shoved her onto the bed, wrenching her arm up to clasp the cold metal of the handcuff around her wrist. The loud clatter of the gun being dropped on the side table made her start and push back until he grabbed a fistful of her hair to stop her motion.

She whimpered in fear as he leaned in close, "Tomorrow this is going to end. We're going to fix it. You and me. And if you don't do exactly what I say I'll kill everyone you love, and it'll be all your fault."

When the needle slipped into her arm she almost welcomed it.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thank you for a truly amazing response to the last chapter. I was concerned that a long run without Oliver in it could maybe not go over too well, but I knew it was necessary to the story, and worked doubly hard to ensure that chapter could stand on its own. So thank you for loving it and all your amazing comments, especially all the ones where you call for Nate's painful death. **

**Hope you enjoy, and as always, I love hearing what you think! **

She woke up gradually to a soft hand combing through her hair. Letting out a deep sigh she turned into the touch as a small smile lifted the corners of her lips, "Oliver…" she said sleepily, eyes fluttering open as the hand stilled and then tightened painfully, tugging at her scalp.

Hard reality washed over her and everything rushed back. Nate. Motel. Monroe dead.

Her eyes flew open to see him sitting next to her on the bed, much too close.

A startled scream got stuck in her throat as she tried to scramble to a sitting position but the hand in her hair kept her in place. His closeness was oppressive and uncomfortable and a cool sweat broke across her skin as she struggled against him.

"Stop it, 'Lissy." he said darkly and then she froze when the muzzle of the gun dragged across her cheek.

He waited as she focused on him before he continued, and she had the feeling he could have waited for forever if he had to. "Today...today is going to be different and I'm going to need you to behave. And if you don't...things aren't going to end well for you. Do you understand?"

As she stared up at him, barely breathing and trembling she had to blink repeatedly to clear her vision because all she could see was the image from her drug induced dreams. The one where he appeared as some sort of faceless, disturbed monster. Except her nightmares had become real, and the monster was before her.

Swallowing hard she dropped her chin once in answer, wincing because he didn't loosen the hold he had on her, if anything his fingers tightened even more.

"Good." he replied with a sick smile that made her stomach roll, "We're going out today. We're fixing it. There's not going to be an accident. We're going to make it to that diner and then everything is going to be made right. And when we've done that...I can let it all end. Finally." he leaned in on the last few words and whispered them into her ear making her shiver as a cold wave of terror filled her.

When he sat up he let his grip loosen and she wasted no time in pushing herself backwards against the headboard in an attempt to be as far away from him as possible, her legs curled underneath her, wishing she could wrap her arms around her middle.

He smirked and shook his head like her reaction amused him and she tried to not let the panic show.

"You have thirty minutes in the bathroom. Shower, change your clothes, pull your hair back, and make sure the bruises don't show." he said abruptly, rising to his feet and moving to undo her restraints. "If you take too long or try anything I'll put a bullet between your eyes just like I did with that bodyguard." he paused, hand wrapped around her wrist, his touch making her shiver, and gave a short chuckle, "Huh, I just realized it didn't make near the mess you would have thought it would. Just one neat little hole. His eyes were still open though. It looked...awkward."

Her chest tightened in pain and anguish to hear him talk about killing Monroe so easily and all she could do was stare at him, eyes once again filled with tears as he released her wrist and stepped back.

Nate wandered away from the bed, using the gun to peel back the corner of the curtain and peer out. She didn't move, cradling her arm to her chest as the image of Monroe's broken body stuck in her mind and wouldn't leave.

"Better hurry, clock's already ticking." he said without looking at her,

The next thing she knew she was leaning against the closed bathroom door trying to get her shaky fingers to work the lock. It was absurd really to be so concerned about the flimsy lock on the equally flimsy door knowing it would take nothing to kick it down or even shoot out the handle but right then it was the only barrier she had between herself and Nate and it represented security.

She drew a long, stuttered breath and noticed for the first time there were actual items in the bathroom. Small bottles of shampoo and soap sat behind the sink as well as a plastic brush and a bag of dollar store cosmetics. There was another stack of clothes sitting on the back of the toilet but it wasn't the usual sweats and t-shirt he'd been bringing her.

Knowing her time was limited she twisted the handles on the faucet, watching as the water ran a dull brown at first before it turned clear. Hot water tap spun as far as it would go she quickly stripped off her clothes and stepped in, not surprised to find it barely lukewarm.

The shower was welcomed, even if it did leave her feeling more jumpy and vulnerable than ever, knowing he was right outside and not trusting that he wouldn't try and come in at any second.

On auto pilot she washed her hair and body while her mind wandered to places she wished it wouldn't.

Monroe, and the gun, and the blood on Nate's face. She couldn't help but think of Digg and what he would have felt when he'd found the body. How out of his mind Oliver had to be with worry. The entire time she'd been held she'd never given up hope, but the guilt she felt was attempting to eat away at any tiny scrap of belief she still clung to that she would get out of this.

The despair filled her chest until she couldn't breathe, gasping and choking with spots dancing in front of her eyes she sank into the far corner of the tub and broke. She cried for Monroe, and Jenny, and even for the kid Nate used to be before his mind had been fractured beyond repair.

Images of Oliver and Digg working around the clock, trying desperately to find her began to slowly push aside those other thoughts, especially the ones that were telling her to give up and give in. Being able to _'see' _them doing what they did best was the reminder she needed that she had to do her part as well.

On wobbly knees she pushed herself to her feet and shut off the now cold water with a decided flick of her wrist. They were on a mission right then and as their partner and part of the team she had to join them. Just because they didn't know where she was didn't mean she couldn't still do her job.

Feeling stronger than she had since she'd discovered Nate had kidnapped her she could feel the change settle inside. Her head was higher, shoulders back, spine straighter as her brain began to process everything it knew. The fog of the constant sedatives had lifted and as she dried off and dragged the cheap brush through her hair she analyzed what she knew.

Digg's calm, even voice echoed, telling her to pay attention to everything. Once they left that motel room she'd be on more even footing and he couldn't keep her in the dark on everything or risk being discovered. She heard Oliver telling her to stay strong and stay smart and not make any unnecessary risks.

She could do that. She was good at gathering information and making sense of it, and like one of her intro to technology teachers liked to say, 'the brain is the best computer'. She didn't exactly agree with that statement, but right then she appreciated it.

Knowing she didn't have much time left she hurriedly pulled on the clothes Nate had left for her, hating how the jeans hung off her hips. She'd lost weight. Not much, but enough to be noticeable. Two meals a day that she could barely bring herself to eat half of was beginning to show, and as she stood staring down at hip bones that were more prominent than they used to be she wondered if she had it all wrong and if he'd had her longer than she thought.

There was a blue t-shirt and a long sleeve button up to go over with a small pinstripe that looked vaguely familiar. It wasn't until she had the clothes on and was slipping her feet into a pair of cheap ballet flats that she stood up so fast she got dizzy.

She felt like she'd been punched in the gut as she found her reflection in the mirror. There was a reason she thought she'd seen the shirt before. It was almost identical to what Jenny had been wearing when she'd died.

She'd known Nate was trying to recreate that day but she didn't think he'd go this far. With her dyed hair and the matching outfit she knew she'd do a good job passing for his dead girlfriend and the lump in her throat grew larger at everything that distortion of reality could bring.

The loud bang on the door made her jump and let out a startled scream.

"Five minutes!" Nate yelled and she quickly moved to finish.

Hands shaking so badly she had a hard time getting the band around her hair she pulled the still damp weight into a low ponytail that she remembered Jenny had worn that day from the pictures he'd left in the backpack.

Her face showed the impact of her ordeal more than anything. She was paler than usual, dark circles under her eyes only making the pallor of her skin that more noticeable and accentuated the thinness she could see in the hollows of her cheeks and around her jawline. There was a fading bruise along her hairline and fine scratches over her cheek and temple.

The concealer he'd bought wasn't the correct shade but she did her best to blend it in, shuddering when she tilted her chin up and dabbed at the spot where he'd shoved the gun into her.

She put a little color on her cheeks and used the pale pink lip gloss in the bag even though it was a shade she never would have bought herself. When she was finished she looked presentable although anyone looking close would be able to see things weren't right.

As she stared at herself she was glad to see someone looking back that reminded her of the real Felicity. She wished she had her glasses, but she'd have to do without.

Blowing out a long breath she let her eyes shut and tried to center herself. She could do this. She could play along with Nate's sick game and do everything she could to get away from him at the same time. She'd have to be smart though, and not antagonize him. But something would happen, she had to believe that, and she had to be ready when it did.

She unlatched the lock just as she heard him rattle the handle and turned it quickly, not wanting to make him angry. His eyes were bright, pupils wider than they should have been and the gun was still in his hand, tapping impatiently against his thigh.

He cut a look from her shoes all the way up to her hair, and she saw the way his breath caught. For a second his eyes softened and he started towards her, but when she took an instinctive step backwards he stopped short and shook his head sharply and when he looked at her again, that hard, dead look was back.

"You...you look like her." he said, his voice not as unaffected as she thought he wanted it to be.

He motioned for her to leave the bathroom and she skirted past him, nervously twisting her hands together as she stood in the center of the room and waited.

The longer she stood the more and more worried she became. Nate's hand flexed where he held the gun, and he used the other one to run through his hair over and over again as he paced a track from the bed to the chairs.

"I know you, 'Lissy, you don't like being wrong, you're too damn smart. So I need you to understand this. I need you to understand that everything _will go right_ today. It has to!" he said through gritted teeth without even looking at her, "You're going to drive. That's the different variable I need here. You're going to drive. If I don't drive everything will go right. But if you do anything to draw attention to yourself, or try and get help, or anything that makes anyone look at us twice I will not hesitate to shoot you."

He came to a halt directly in front of her and gripped her upper arm tight, squeezing it and shaking her so hard her teeth clacked together, "You're smart so I think you get me, don't you?"

Tears pricking her eyes she pressed her lips tight together and nodded haltingly.

"Smart girl," his mouth dragged across her hairline and she couldn't stop the small whimper or the way she tried to shrink away from him. He just held her tighter, "Don't do anything stupid,"

In a flash he'd stepped away and grabbed a jacket off the back of one of the chairs and slid it on, keys were dug out of the pocket and he held them out to her. There was only a fine tremor in her fingers as she took it from him, immediately noticing the sticker on the fob for a rental company, unfortunately it was one of the major chains and didn't tell her much.

Still, that small act helped to calm her racing pulse and she knew that even as scared as she was, she hadn't shut down completely and anything she could learn could only serve to help her.

He gave her a disturbed smile and tucked the gun under one side of his jacket, and she knew it was pointed at her through the fabric. "Let's go."

Not knowing what she would find on the other side of the door she fumbled with the handle twice before she managed to get it open and stepped out into bright sunlight that made her blink.

She didn't know what she expected. But when her heart fell she knew there was some small part of her that wanted to walk out to find Oliver and Digg and Lance and half the F.B.I waiting for her. All she saw was a non descript parking lot, full of more dirt than gravel, and a row rooms.

Her head whipped behind to see they were in the end unit, the number '20' spray painted on the door, faded and slightly off center.

"Not a word 'Lissy, I've paid them a lot of money to not ask questions, and they didn't strike me as the sort of people who would care what happens here anyways as long as they got their money."

Her eyes shot to where a fritzing neon sign said 'Office' at the end of the row, but she knew he'd be able to fire the gun at her fleeing back and there was no place to get cover.

He nudged her with the muzzle and directed her towards a light grey four door sedan that was parked a few feet away.

Walking slowly she took in every scrap of information she could. It was a rental, which she already knew, the plates let her know they had at least started in the same state although she couldn't be sure where she was now. The car was a few years old and a popular model which meant it would be hard to track as she knew from experience. She made a mental note of the plate number as she made her way around to the driver's side.

The gun was out of his jacket now, trained on her every move and he waited for her to open the door and slide in, mirroring her movements on the passenger's side.

The interior was completely clean, nothing had been left out to give her a hint as to where she was, or anything she could use against him.

"Start the car. Carefully." he ordered and she did as he said,

She took as much time as she dared putting on her seatbelt and adjusting the mirror, trying to use it to look around but the sign for the motel was blocked from her view and there was nothing else to see other than trees. Wherever they were it was remote, with a seemingly low population. They were definitely outside of Starling, although she didn't think he had taken her that far; the climate and landscape didn't look that different.

"Pull around to the front of the motel and take a right on the road." he moved closer to her and pushed the gun into the side of her ribs making her gasp and try and pull away, "Abdominal wounds are a bitch, remember that."

Slowly she backed out and drove through the empty parking lot. When she came to the road she stopped and looked to the left to check for oncoming traffic but really she was searching for some sort of identifying feature for the motel. The icy fist around her gut only tightened when all she could see was a generic 'Motel' sign and nothing else.

There was nothing she could see that let her know what town she was in or what road she was on. Heart racing she had no choice but to pull out and turn right.

The road was empty, and as she locked her hands on the wheel she wondered for a brief second if she could crash the car before he got a shot off. There was a sharp curve ahead with deep ditches on either side and she tried to calculate how fast she'd need to be going to ensure he'd be injured, but she dismissed it almost as quickly when she knew he'd shoot her before she purposely wrecked, and there was no guarantee she wouldn't kill herself in the crash as well.

"The diner is a few miles down the road, you can't miss it, so I suggest you don't."

Her mouth was dry and when she finally swallowed enough to be able to speak she didn't dare take her eyes off the road ahead of her. "How...how did you get the car?" she knew how risky it was asking him questions, but she hoped his need to prove himself would outweigh him figuring out she was digging for information.

He gave a low chuckle and she felt the way the gun moved as he laughed. "I had a friend rent it for me before he had to leave town suddenly."

A shiver went down her spine as she realized it was Dr. Howard, the psychologist who must have done it for him. One final act of blackmail before he was allowed to disappear. That also must have been where Nate had gotten the sedative and supplies from as well, Howard would have had access to drugs at the facility where he worked.

He was silent for a long moment and she tried to keep her attention on not missing the diner, which was hard with him so close and the gun pushed into her so hard it hurt.

"I hope you don't think anyone is looking for you."

Her chest tightened and her lungs felt like they had seized. It was the complete ease in how he'd said it. He was so sure he was safe. So sure no one was coming after them. She wondered if that's why he'd decided that it was okay for him to take her out.

"I've kept up with the news...there's no mention, especially outside of Starling. It's like...you just disappeared and no one cares. So if you think people in the diner are going to recognize you because your pretty picture has been splattered all over the twenty four hour cable channels, think again."

She knew he was wrong. She didn't know why it hadn't made the news. Her abduction she could almost understand being overlooked by the media, but Nate had tried to kill one of the richest men in the world. Twice. She knew it wasn't possible for the F.B.I to give up their search.

But she couldn't deny that a part of her wondered why, and wondered if maybe she hadn't been forgotten.

She angrily swiped away a tear, hating how he saw and smirked and then mentally chided herself. Oliver hadn't forgotten her. She knew that in her soul. He and Digg were doing everything in their power to find her, she just had to stay alive long enough for that to happen and do whatever she could to help them however she could.

The road curved again and when it straightened out she could see the diner ahead on the right. Pulse once again rising she pulled into the parking lot and found an empty spot a few spaces down from the door. There were a half dozen other cars parked out front and a half dozen more towards the back. Everything in her screamed to get out and run, to yell for help, and plead with someone to call the police, but she knew it would be suicide so she sat and waited.

Her eyes flicked to the front and the large awning over the door to the building. When she read the sign she couldn't help the words that spilled past her lips, "Oh my god, Nate. Oh my god...it's the...it's the same name. How?! How could you have…"

For a second she thought he'd taken her back home. Because some how she was staring at the Ashford Diner, the same exact diner he and Jenny had been on their way to on that horrible day seven years earlier. But then logic kicked in and she remembered that the diner had closed and this looked nothing like their hometown three thousand miles away.

Somehow though he'd found a town with the same name, that had a diner and would work as a good enough substitute to play its part in this dark charade of his. She'd never known there was a town with the same name near Starling. Ashford wasn't even technically where she grew up, it was the next town over, but it was where the movie theatre was and where most of the kids from her school would end up most nights.

She had no idea how far away from Starling she was just then. She'd never noticed Ashford before on any map or mentioned anywhere which meant it was either hours away or so small it didn't register. It was more than likely a combination of the two she surmised.

If what Nate said about the news was true, and he'd brought her to this place, coupled with how long she'd been held...a sinking feeling in her stomach made her want to curl up in a ball and sob. No one had made the connection, no one had figured out where she was and it had been days. Not Oliver, not the F.B.I, not the SCPD.

She physically shook her head to rid herself of her negative thoughts, wincing as a throb of pain shot through her skull. Whatever he'd been dosing her with had left her with a residual headache that didn't want to go away. She couldn't afford to think like that. The only way she had a chance of surviving was to keep her head and not give up.

Cautiously she turned the car off and looked over at him. He gave her a knowing look, one that said 'You've lost," as he pulled his hand back and tucked the gun back inside his jacket. Then she watched, half fascinated, half frightened as he shut his eyes tight and then opened them again looking like an entirely different person.

"Ready to go, Jen?" he said, light and normal like nothing was wrong but she knew. She knew that if she tried to make a run for it he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Not trusting her voice she nodded and reached for the door handle. "Hey!" he said loudly and she froze, "Sit right there and I'll come open it for you. I am a gentleman after all."

She didn't know if that was really how Nate had acted with Jen or if he was just trying to keep control over her movements, but either way she let her hand fall back to her lap as she waited.

He held his free hand out to her and she had no choice but to take it, barely letting her fingers touch his as she climbed from the car. A twinge of pain came from her ribs but she ignored it and focused on the man in front of her who was smiling broadly.

"You love this place, babe! Remember, the last time we were here you didn't think I could drink that entire milkshake in under two minutes, but I did." he leaned over and brushed a kiss over her cheek before she could react, the place where his lips had touched her feeling like a brand. She wanted nothing more than to reach up and scrub her face raw to rid herself of the contact but she couldn't.

When his hand landed on her elbow she did react. She skittered to the side two steps like a spooked horse, hating that he'd touched her there. That was the spot where she was used to feeling Oliver's warm, supportive hand as they walked the halls of QC or even sometimes in the lair. It was always gentle, and comforting, and a way for him to connect to her. Nate touching her in the same place made her want to be ill.

For a second his mask fell and she saw the Nate from the motel room and the car, the one that wouldn't hesitate to kill her, and she knew that man was always right there just below the surface.

"Sorry, I guess I tripped," she said in a small voice, and tried not to shudder as he wrapped an arm behind her, making sure she was a little bit ahead of him as they walked.

"Let's go, I'm starving and I'm sure you are too." he replied, propelling her forward.

Walking into that diner and seeing other people for the first time in almost a week made her knees weak and all the air to get stuck in her lungs. The beginnings of a panic attack were setting in, and just as a server approached them he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Get it together or that poor woman is going to have to watch you die."

She dropped her head and shut her eyes tight, fingers twined together so tightly her nail beds were going white and she couldn't hear whatever he was saying to the woman. Then they were moving. She was still struggling to get control of her emotions and find a way to make it through the meal without pushing him too far. His hand landed heavy on her shoulder and she slid into a booth, knowing without looking that as he sat across from her the gun was trained on her the entire time.

A menu entered her field of vision, covering the scratched and cracked formica she had been staring at. She picked it up automatically to give her hands something to do but he smacked it back down and gave the server a charming smile. "We know what we want."

Before she could open her mouth he was ordering for her. Then the woman was looking at her with kind eyes, "Anything else, dear?" The nametag crookedly pinned to her pink blouse said 'Debbie', and her too frizzy hair had mostly escaped the clip she'd used to pull it away from her face.

"Um...a cup of coffee?" she said, the need for something warm filling her making her ask, but Nate shot her a look that spoke of nothing but venom and darkness and she scrambled to fix her mistake. "I'm sorry, no. No coffee. I'm fine."

Debbie shot her a strange look but just nodded and tapped her pen to her pad before she turned and left.

"Babe, you hate coffee, you know that." he said in that too normal, too light voice that made her stomach flip. "The caffeine keeps you up and makes you all jumpy."

"Sorry...silly mistake."

"I got you what you need, don't worry."

Then he proceeded to just talk, about anything and everything. They were topics she suspected he would have talked to Jenny about. He mentioned friends she wasn't familiar with, and dinner with Jenny's parents the following week. Felicity did her best to follow along and nod or make an agreeable noise every now and then, but Nate didn't seem to expect her to participate in the conversation. Whatever was in his head, however this all worked out, her sitting there dressed like a dead woman seemed to be enough for him.

He ate his food enthusiastically when it came while she could only push hers around the plate, knowing if she took more than few bites it would probably come back up. She did drink almost the entire soda he'd ordered for her, wondering if dehydration wasn't part of the problem with her head, or if the dryness in my mouth and throat were just from fear.

He was almost done with his meal and there had been no opportunity, no chance for her to actively do anything that would get her away from him. The threat of getting in that car and driving back to the motel with nothing having changed scared her to her core.

The sign for the restrooms was straight ahead of her and she knew she had to try.

Clearing her throat she laid her napkin on the table and looked up, "Nate, would it be okay if I went to the ladies' room?" her voice was tight, but amazingly calm,

He choked slightly on his food and wiped his mouth hastily before he leveled her with a harsh look, "Hold it."

"I...I can't, I'm sorry." she gave what she hoped was an uncomfortable, pained expression and shifted in her seat.

The veil of cold rage that crossed his face sent a bolt of terror through her. He leaned in close and clamped a hard hand over her wrist making her wince.

"You go straight there and come straight back. Five minutes. Don't talk to anyone. Don't try anything or that little girl sitting over there is going to suddenly lose her mother."

Heart in her throat she looked to her right to see a happy young family enjoying their meal, a woman about her own age smiling down at a young girl around three. He'd only ever threatened her before, but this was the same man that had killed Monroe in cold blood, and she knew he'd do it again.

"I understand. I won't try anything." she promised,

Nate nodded once and tilted his head back quickly telling her to go.

She didn't waste any time. She was out of the booth and halfway down the aisle before she came to herself with a jolt and slowed her pace enough so she could pay attention to everything around her.

The ladie's room was to the right down a short hallway and at the end was a door to the kitchen. As much as she wanted to run in there and out the back she knew she couldn't. Nate would kill that poor woman, she knew it, and she couldn't have someone else's death on her conscience.

She pushed into the bathroom and saw their server, Debbie, standing at the sink, washing her hands. She gave Felicity a distracted smile and was about to move past her when an idea struck.

"Please, do you have a phone I could borrow for just a few minutes?" she tried to not sound desperate but she knew her tone was far from normal.

The woman gave her a once over and stepped closer, "You okay, dear? I hope you don't mind me saying but that guy you're with...something's not right there is it?"

Felicity blanched and Debbie quickly began talking again, "I understand. I've been where you are. Took a broken nose and a black eye for me to finally decide to get out." her hand came out and rubbed up and down Felicity's arm, "You deserve better than him, trust me."

All she could do was nod, as panic filled her, she could not be responsible for him hurting anyone else.

"Here," a small pink flip phone that had seen better days was pressed into her hands, "Make your call. And don't worry, I'm not going to say anything to him. I know how short a fuse those types can have and you look like you'd get blown over in a stiff breeze. Just leave it on the counter when you're done, no one here will touch it. I've got enough time for a smoke before I have to be back so take your time."

She was gone before Felicity could mumble out a thank you and with hands shaking so badly she could barely punch the numbers she called Oliver and waited.

It took three rings before she heard his voice and then she was so overcome she almost couldn't speak.

"What?" he answered sharply, he sounded rough and worn but it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard.

She let out a ragged half sob and heard his sharp intake of breath, "Oliver!"

"Felicity?! Is that you? Are you okay? Where are you? Are you hurt?" the panic and stress was almost palpable and her breath hitched as she tried to draw enough air into her lungs.

"Oh god, Oliver! I...don't have enough time." her eyes blinked rapidly as she wiped continuously at her face, knowing she couldn't go back to the table looking like she'd cried.

"Has he hurt you? Where are you?" he demanded again and she could hear the desperation, it sounded like it was choking him and she had to tramp down everything in her that wanted to curl up in a corner and wait for him to find her.

"I only have a minute. I'm in Ashford. It's a small town, I don't know where. There's a motel off the main road. Room 20." she didn't know how she got it all out without breaking down,

"We're on the way, Digg figured it out and we'll...dammit we're almost two hours away. I'll call the local police-"

"NO! You can't! Oliver...he's unstable, you don't...you don't understand and...he's got...oh god, he's got Monroe's gun. I think he killed him." she was begging, pleading, because the local sheriff tearing into the place was the worst thing that could happen.

Oliver sucked in breath and made a horrible, noise that sounded like it had come from deep in his chest, "Felicity…" the syllables of her name emerged from him like separate entities and in each one was an entire conversation. It was enough to break her heart.

A fist pressed against her sternum hard because it felt like she was about to break as she stood hunched over in the small diner bathroom knowing she only had seconds before she had to hang up.

"Oliver I...I have to go now. I'm out of time. I'm sorry. He can't know I called…"

"FELICITY! NO!" he roared,

"I'm sorry. I lo...I'm so sorry. Just hurry." she whispered and before she couldn't she hit end.

Great gasping sobs left her lungs to the point she had to cover her mouth with both hands in an attempt to muffle the noise as she crouched in front of the sink, before she had to grasp desperately at the slick counter in an effort to keep herself somewhat upright. She counted to ten and then forced herself to stand.

The woman who stared back in the mirror was almost unrecognizable. With short stilted movements she splashed cold water on her face, and tried to erase the worst of the evidence of her breakdown.

Feeling light headed and almost like she was no longer in her own body she looked once more at the phone she was forced to leave on the counter and opened the door.

Nate had moved so that he could see her as she walked back, and he waved one hand in greeting when he saw her. Under the table she saw his left hand tucked into his jacket, the gun pointed across the aisle at the woman he'd threatened to kill.

There were three booths between them when a group of six people suddenly got up to leave, making her draw up short, and blocked her from Nate's view.

One turned to mutter an apology and she dropped her head away to avoid making eye contact. The steak knife that rested against the edge of the table she was standing next caught her attention and before she could think it through she grabbed it by the handle and slid it up the sleeve of her shirt, the cool metal against her skin helping to settle her nerves as the people moved out and Nate could once again see her.

He was already standing when she reached their table. "Good girl," he said, "Ready to go?"

He didn't wait for a response, just guided her to walk before him again, making sure she knew where the gun was as they left the diner. She kept her forearm curled in towards her middle, trying to hold it naturally. Every step they took out of the public eye left her colder and more scared.

But as she got in the car, she felt the sharp prick of the blade she had hidden and for the first time in days she suddenly had hope.

Oliver was coming, and she had a weapon. All she had to do was make it through the next two hours.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is the chapter most people have been waiting for. At least I hope so! Thanks for sticking with me through this crazy ass long story, and we're not done yet. All the reviews and feedback have been amazing. I love to hear all the enthusiasm for hating Nate. :) **

**Enjoy! And please let me know what you think! Only way I know if the chapter is any good and you liked it (or not) is if you tell me!**

The drive from the diner to the motel seemed to take forever, while also being over much too quickly. As soon as Nate was seated, the gun was once again pushed into her ribs, but he didn't seem to be paying her much attention.

A hot rush of tears burned her eyes as she remembered words almost slipping out to Oliver that she'd caught just in time. She refused to let the first time she said 'I love you' to be like that. She'd say it to his face, like they both deserved.

She should have never doubted him, doubted them. Of course Digg had figured it out. She didn't know how, but right then she didn't care. All she knew was she only had to hang on a little bit longer and this would all be over.

She risked a quick look in Nate's direction before directing her eyes forward again. His head was tipped back, eyes shut, and all she could see out of her peripheral vision were his shallow breaths as she drove.

There was a peace that seemed to settle over him and it made her nervous. The calm, relaxed man next to her was not who she'd been dealing with.

Nate's silence filled the space and she licked her lips and swallowed heavily as she debated on whether to say anything or not.

Now that he'd fulfilled his goal of 'fixing' that day, she didn't know where that left him. The past seven years his entire purpose had been wrapped around this one moment, as his broken mind had fixated on Jenny's death and his guilt for causing it. She knew he'd never be able to go back, he'd done too much damage and she was afraid he'd gone too far for too long.

A dark, horrible thought struck her and she almost drove off the road. Nate jumped as she overcorrected and brought the car back to center. She shook, not wanting to consider how close he'd come to pulling the trigger.

"Sorry," she more mouthed than spoke, tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth and she could feel his eyes on her now.

The thought that had affected her so badly played over and over. Nate's goal had been met. He had no chance for any sort of life now. The chances of him just letting her go were non-existent. She was a loose end, but more than that, she had been a symbol and now he needed to put her -to put Jenny- to rest for good.

As she pulled back in front of the motel, for a second she thought about pushing the accelerator all the way to the floor and driving through the building. The only thing that stopped her was the image of Oliver having to find her like that, especially if Nate got a shot off first. She couldn't do that to him. She'd stall, she'd find a way to keep Nate from doing something horrible until Oliver and Digg got there. She didn't have another choice.

Instead of driving the car through cinder block she slowly came to a stop and turned off the ignition. A wave of fear and need rolled over her, so fast and quick it took her breath with it and left her looking through hazy eyes.

She needed Oliver. Every cell in her body called for him. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tight as her head came to rest on her knuckles. She knew what she had to do. And she'd do it, but it didn't keep her from wanting him to somehow appear and save her. He always came for her. He always would. To be able to feel his solid strength right then...to have him wrapped around her protecting her from the world was something she ached for.

Hearing his voice had been both a blessing and a curse. More than anything she wanted to hear him again. Knowing that right that second Digg was driving as fast as he could helped center her some, because she knew they were doing everything they could to get to her.

The driver's door being jerked open and Nate's rough hand clamping around her upper arm made her gasp as he hauled her from the car.

"Move it 'Lissy, dragging your feet isn't going to change anything." he bit out,

She stumbled next to him as he pushed the door open and directed her into the dark room. The blade of the hidden knife scratched the tender skin of her arm and she kept it bent towards her middle hoping he wouldn't notice.

Felicity backed up as far as she could get from him, her eyes tracking his every movement.

"I did it," He said quiet and somewhat shakily, almost like he didn't believe it himself. "I finally did it." he let out a small laugh and shook his head, "Thank you, 'Lissy, I couldn't have done this without you."

She looked at him in shocked horror, "I didn't _help_ you, Nate!" she breathed out in disbelief, "You kidnapped me, kept me drugged, and forced me at gunpoint. None of this was me helping you!"

His head jerked up, pinning her with a glare that made her blood run cold, "Doesn't matter, I got to put the final piece in, the final bit of the puzzle that's been hanging over my head all this time. I got to finish it, and you served your purpose."

"Will you think for two seconds about someone other than yourself! Think about your parents! How do you think they feel right now, knowing what you've done?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth she knew she'd said the wrong thing. He gave a sharp, bitter laugh, "Right, my parents. The only thing my parents are concerned about is their image. Why do you think it was so easy to manipulate my mother into arranging for the closed hearing. Or how she had no problem giving me money. She wanted me out of that facility, that's true, but not because she cared about me. She wanted to be able to tell people I was out because it reflected poorly on her. So if anything this...this is like my last big 'fuck you' to the people that never let me forget what a complete disappointment I was."

She was terrified now, trying to use his parents to get him to see reason had been the wrong tactic, and seemed to be one of the driving forces behind whatever he was planning. With a throat that felt like it was attempting to collapse she held out pleading hands and tried again.

"Fine then, your parents...they were no good okay, I get that. I honestly _never_ liked your mother, but what about me? What have I done to deserve this? You can let me go. I can walk out of here and...you can give yourself up. I can talk to them about reducing your sentence. I can…"

"You can't do shit, 'Lissy." he barked, "You're part of this now and...you're going to have to see it through. I'm sorry, I guess." the distracted shrug he gave making her stomach drop. "I liked you when we were kids. I did. But I can't keep you separate from Jenny anymore, it's too hard, and she's...she's gone so...I've got to end it. You and me. Gone too. And then all this will be over."

Panic induced static filled her head and for a moment all her senses left her, she couldn't see or hear, all she knew was the terrible theory she'd had earlier seemed to be coming true. Nate had no intention of letting her go or turning himself in. He was going to kill her and then kill himself.

When she came back to the present on legs that were numb she saw him standing by the table preparing a syringe with the drug he'd been using on her.

Every other time she'd been in a life threatening situation she'd been terrified, which any normal, rational person would have been. And she was terrified just then. Her heart was beating so fast she could feel the way her blood raced through her veins, and her breaths were short and tight. But mostly, she was angry.

She took the anger and let it fall over her like a blanket, wrapping it around her, transforming it into armor. Because Felicity Smoak wasn't going out like that. She wasn't going to let him slip that needle into her arm one more time to gently disappear into the darkness. She had too much to lose.

The numbness vanished from her legs and she felt strong as she stalked the few steps that separated them until she was almost toe to toe with him.

"What are you going to do, Nate? You coward! You're going to drug me senseless, put a pillow over my face and pull the trigger so you don't have to actually see it happen!" she practically growled, her mouth twisting viciously as she looked at him with contempt.

The thought of Oliver and Digg showing up too late, but soon enough to find her body still warm pushed her forward even more, the red haze that clouded her vision made her forget about the gun and the syringe he held.

The heel of the hand holding the gun shoved her back forcefully, "You don't understand!" he raged, "It was MY FAULT! And this is the only way to make it right! I killed her! My stupid attitude and reckless behavior killed the only good thing I had in my life. She didn't care if I was perfect. She didn't care if I fucked up. And I would have gladly done my time, because I deserved it...but my parents...my MOTHER...she couldn't let that happen. So now...there's no way out. This was all set into motion so long ago...I couldn't stop it if I wanted to!" tiny specks of spittle flew from his lips as he yelled, but she wasn't deterred.

Felicity set her feet and narrowed her eyes, "This is not the only way! You can stop it! You're the one in control right now. Do you think Jenny would want this? Would she want you to kill someone else and yourself because of her? I never met her but I know she wouldn't want this."

He gave her a scoffing, half disgusted laugh, "Oh, I know you never met her. You couldn't even be bothered to come to the funeral. Thanks so much for that, 'cuz. Glad to know you cared."

A hard fist clamped over her heart and twisted, she'd never known he'd been so resentful over her not going to the funeral.

She opened her mouth to protest but he waved her off, "No, I don't want to hear excuses because it doesn't matter." he spread his hands wide, "Nothing matters anymore. It's...freeing really."

He wasn't going to let her out of there, and there was still over an hour before Oliver arrived. Her plan to keep him stalled until then was unravelling before her eyes.

Making a decision, she hoped what she was doing ended up being the right choice. She'd have to rely on the element of surprise, every bit of training Digg had given her, and her assumption that Nate wasn't a good shot.

"Fine Nate, if that's how you want it then you're just going to have to stop me, because I refuse to let you just put me down." and before he could respond she spun and made a mad dash for the door.

The first shot went wide, burying itself in the concrete to the left of her head. Sharp bits of mortar and dust flew towards her and she instinctively raised her arm to block her face. The second shot was closer, leaving a trail of fire across her upper arm but she paid it no attention because her hand was on the door knob.

With a desperate pull she managed to wrench the door open a few inches before she felt him at her back.

"NO!"

His hand slammed into the wood above her head and shut the door. His body pressed into hers tight, leaving her no room to move and then she felt the familiar prick of the needle in her shoulder.

Terror overtook her and she knew this was her last chance, if he injected her it would all be over. A primal need for survival reared up inside and she twisted hard, throwing her left elbow up and backwards, feeling it connect with his face.

Her shoulder came in contact with the door as she turned, knocking the syringe to the floor, but she couldn't risk looking down to see how much was left.

With his now free hand he slapped her hard, leaving her head ringing. He crooked his arm around her neck and held her in a choke hold as he dragged her towards the bed.

A high, animalistic scream came from her throat as her legs flailed. One foot caught on the edge of the bed and she shoved backwards in an attempt to throw him off balance. But Nate just tightened his grip making her fingers scrabble at his forearm as white spots began to dance in front of her eyes.

Air was something she needed desperately, and when he released her so that he could shove her face down on the bed, all she could do at first was take in great gulping gasps, helpless to do anything while he torqued her arm behind her back and began to affix the handcuff.

A biting pain in her arm made her breath catch and her eyes popped open as she remembered the knife, the buttoned shirt cuff had kept it from falling out. Calling on all the mat work Digg had made her do, she flipped her hips and drew her knees to her chest before she struck out, catching Nate just off center in his chest.

He was pushed back into the other bed, giving her just enough time to reach over and slide the knife from her sleeve. For a second the blade caught on the metal of the cuff and another wave of panic washed over her.

Then Nate was next to the bed again and he had raised the gun.

She made a wide swipe, catching him across the top of his chest first before she felt the knife sink through the resistance of his shirt and into the arm that held the gun.

He howled in pain, still coming towards her as the gun fell to the mattress next to her hip.

His hands went for the knife as she rolled sideways some trying to use her body to keep him away from the gun. His fingers clamped over hers, but her grip was slick and he was stronger.

For a second all she could hear was heavy breaths and the small frantic noises she made as she fought to keep hold of the handle. And then he had it in his hand.

He took a step back and loomed over her, once again looking like the monster from her dreams.

Chest heaving, hair in her face blocking half her view there was no time to think when he raised both hands above his head, knife held between them.

His eyes were gone...black and filled with manic rage she'd never seen before. Lips contorted into a frightening snarl, a scream composed of seven years of pain was torn from his throat as he began to bring his hands down, knife aimed directly for her heart.

Time appeared to slow and her mind went blank as she reached under her right hip and pulled out the gun.

She didn't think, she just aimed and fired. The bullet struck home, center mass just like she'd been taught, the force knocking him back enough that when the knife fell from his hands it missed her.

In the small room the gunshot made her ears ring and her entire body jolted at the recoil. Her aim wavered and she didn't know if she could pull the trigger again.

As long as she lived she'd never forget the look of complete surprise that crossed Nate's face. He stumbled into the other bed and slid to the floor, trying to catch himself on the edge but failing as dark blood ran from between his fingers.

He looked down at the wound and then back at her in confusion before he went still.

The gun fell heavy and cold on her abdomen as her vision greyed at the edges. She'd killed him. Nate was dead.

Her face was wet with tears that had been falling since she'd tried to get out the door, but she couldn't get her hand to move to wipe them away. Her body and mind felt like they were two separate things, and the real her floated somewhere in between.

The sight before her was almost too surreal to believe. In death, everything that seemed to have plagued Nate had vanished. All she could see now was the kid she'd grown up with. The one she'd snuck off to steal treats with during the holidays, and played with over the summer. He'd always let her try his new games and never got mad when she beat his score.

And she'd killed him.

She was numb. Unable to take her eyes off of him she barely blinked as she let her mind shut down. She couldn't think about Oliver or Digg or the fact that she'd survived. Right then none of that mattered.

She was unaware of the wound in her arm from where the bullet had hit it as it passed by, unaware of the myriad of cuts along her forearm from the hidden knife, unaware of the split lip that had dripped blood along her chin.

Her entire existence had narrowed down to the dead man who lay only a few feet away, thick dark blood still seeping a trail down his chest to the threadbare carpet beneath him.

A bone deep cold was spreading throughout her body. She felt it begin in her arms and legs and gradually work it's way in. Every now and then a shiver would wrack her, making her teeth clank together, and flares of pain to shoot down her arm. Some part of her knew the pain should register more than it was.

She tried to lift her gaze from Nate but she couldn't. Her eyes were locked on his, as she laid there unable to move she grew progressively heavier and colder.

The sedative that had been injected into her shoulder hadn't been enough to knock her out immediately, but she could feel it pulling at her, making her want to shut her eyes and slip away, but some last reserve she didn't even know she had allowed her to resist.

Time didn't seem to exist. There was nothing outside of that room and Nate's body. Which is why when there was a sudden, muffled noise and a flash of movement as the door to the room was kicked in she didn't even flinch.

Voices shouted her name, but they seemed too far away and she couldn't turn her head.

It was a familiar scent and warm hands on her face as her view of Nate was suddenly blocked that finally made her rear back with a gasp and blink furiously.

The face that hovered only inches from hers was worn and drawn, eyes wide in terror, and it took far more effort than it should of for her to whisper his name.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thank you for the response to the last chapter! This story was always going to be Felicity's story from the start. I always knew she was going to be the one to handle it. I didn't know at the beginning that things with Nate were going to be so bad, but I knew she was going to save herself. It's a bit nerve wracking writing an 'Arrow' story without a lot of Arrow, but I think it's worked well. I know there are questions about what Oliver has been doing while Felicity was missing and I have a separate Oliver's pov for this time in the works. I will be posting it as its own story and I'll definitely put a note in here to let you know when that happens. So some of your questions will be answered in this chapter and the rest of 'TLT', and some you may not get until you read Oliver's pov. At the end you'll have the full picture, I promise. As always, you're amazing. The reviews for the last chapter were some of my favorite, especially all the wonderful support for Felicity. But now we move on, and Oliver's here! **

**Enjoy, and please let me know what you think, chapters after a big one are always scary to put out because they tend to get ignored, but I have a soft spot for this one and these poor dears. Thanks so much!**

_Previously in 'Times Like These'_

_Time didn't seem to exist. There was nothing outside of that room and Nate's body. Which is why when there was a sudden, muffled noise and a flash of movement as the door to the room was kicked in she didn't even flinch._

_Voices shouted her name, but they seemed too far away and she couldn't turn her head._

_It was a familiar scent and warm hands on her face as her view of Nate was suddenly blocked that finally made her rear back with a gasp and blink furiously._

_The face that hovered only inches from hers was worn and drawn, eyes wide in terror, and it took far more effort than it should for her to whisper his name._

Oliver was there, finally. Everything she had wanted and wished for and needed; the one thought that had kept her fighting was in front of her and she wasn't sure she believed it.

Slowly she began to recognize he was with her. She could feel the warmth of his hands seep into her skin, his breath coast over her face, and heard the ragged desperate way he said her name as he pressed his forehead into hers. He sounded scared. She had never heard him like that before.

It was hard to focus her eyes on his, and when he drew back slightly she found herself staring at the zipper of his jacket. His body language changed, his hands gripped her tighter when she heard the word 'No' come from like a curse she turned her head slowly to see him studying the gun that still lay across her middle.

The chill that had overtaken her spread further as a wave of wretched tasting guilt swirled in her gut. He knew what she'd done.

"Oliver...I killed him. I killed him Oliver…" her voice sounded strange to her ears, like it wasn't hers and the words belonged to someone else. "Oliver...I...I killed him. Oliver," she didn't know why she kept saying his name, maybe because she'd gone so long with only saying it in her head and not out loud, or maybe because she somehow knew it was the only thing keeping her sane just then.

The pain in his normally soft blue eyes made her heart clench, but when his hand cupped her cheek she couldn't help but turn into his touch, "Shhh, don't try and think about that right now, okay, you're safe."

She let her eyes fall shut and heard him yell at Digg to find the key to the cuffs.

"What did that sick son of a bitch do to her?" Digg said harshly, and then all she felt was a white hot flare of fire across her arm as it was lowered and blood began circulating again.

She tried to keep from getting sick as they worked around her. Her body was shifted down in the bed and then Oliver was somehow on her other side, wiping away tears she hadn't known were there.

"Felicity, look at me, focus on me, okay?" he ordered just before there was a tug on her sleeve and the sound of ripping fabric.

It was hard to keep her eyes open, but Oliver looked so worried and so scared she tried for him.

"Where are you hurt? Did he shoot you?" he asked, and she grounded herself on the feel of his touch and the sound of his voice,

"I don't know, maybe?" she answered honestly. Her struggle with Nate was a blur and felt like it had been over within seconds. As the adrenaline left her system the sedative seemed to be trying to take hold.

Cool hands were on her wrist and Digg's muttered curse made her turn her head to see him looking at her forearm. There were numerous cuts, some deeper than other from where the knife had cut her as she'd kept it hidden.

"I did that," she offered, knowing they thought it was something Nate had done, "I stole a knife. From the diner. I stole a knife and I hid it."

Digg's dark eyes shuttered shut for a second before he dropped a hand atop her head, but she saw a flash of pride mixed with sadness cross his face.

Digg understood. Not that Oliver didn't, but she knew it was going to be harder for him. "I had to kill him. I didn't want to but...I…" she stuttered out, unable to finish, but one look from Digg and she knew she didn't need to.

"I know," it was absolution, and understanding, and approval wrapped in two words, and it was exactly what she needed to hear just then.

She could feel Oliver's gaze as it bored into her but it took a long moment before they all breathed again, and then Digg was looking at her arm and Oliver was pushing loose hair out of her face.

Her hand found the sleeve of Oliver's jacket and held on tight, trying not to cry out at every pull or twinge of pain she felt.

"It was a bullet, but I can't tell if it's a graze of if it's still in there." he said as he stood back and turned towards the door. "Med kit is in the car, I'll get it and call Lance too...let him know. Local P.D should at least come secure the scene and send an ambulance."

"NO!" the word was ripped from her throat and she tried to pull herself upright, "No ambulance, no hospital." the thought of being separated from Oliver for any reason made her panic,

"Felicity…" Oliver began but she whipped her head towards him and pleaded,

"Oliver, please," her throat was so thick the words were barely audible, "Let Digg fix me. I want to go home. Please let me go home."

She could see the battle that waged within him, the part of him that wanted to put her in the car and head straight back to Starling, and the part of him that wanted her bundled off to the hospital to have every possible test run to make sure she'd be okay.

When his strong arms suddenly slid underneath her and a low rumbling sound grew from deep in his chest as he picked her up she knew some decision had been made.

She tucked her head into his shoulder as he walked towards the door, very purposely not looking anywhere near where Nate still lay. The feeling of security and safety she'd needed the entire time settled over her and it was almost impossible now to keep her eyes open.

She startled when Oliver called her name and told her to wake up, his arms holding her tighter. They were outside, standing in front of the motel room as she looked up to see him staring at her worriedly.

His lips brushed her forehead and then her temple, "I thought I'd lost you," he breathed out and she could hear the deep seeded fear in his voice, "I need you to stay awake, okay, you'll be able to rest soon."

Her eyes pricked with tears at his tone because she could feel the pull of the sedative and knew her body was no longer in any condition to fight it. "I'm sorry," she said slowly, hating how thick her tongue felt in her mouth, "The sedative...I didn't get much but…"

"Sedative? What sedative?" he asked sharply, "Felicity, open your eyes!"

"He kept me drugged." she had to pause and lick her lips twice before she could continue, "For a few days...I don't know how long." her head felt like it was too heavy to hold up and she let it fall limp against him, "We fought...he got me in the shoulder…I'm sorry…"

Oliver shouting for Digg was the last thing she heard.

She woke up to raised voices. Voices she recognized though, even if she couldn't place both of them at the moment. She was warm, and she could feel the rumble of Oliver speaking and it made her smile as she whispered his name. Then she remembered the last time she'd thought he was there, and how she'd woken up to Nate's hand in her hair and she came to with a start, eyes flying open as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

"Felicity, you're safe, it's over,"

"Oliver? You're here?" her brain still felt muddled and slow and she was half trapped in her memory,

Calloused fingers caressed her cheek as he looked down at her, "Yeah, we found you. Digg and I found you. You called me, remember?"

She narrowed her eyes trying to recall, "The diner, I called you from the diner." she said slowly as it began to come back to her, "The nice waitress, she let me use her phone." as long as she lived she'd be grateful to the woman for helping her. Then in a flash she remembered everything. A shock went through her body, as she went instantly numb "Oh god, Oliver...I…"

That was all she got out before she felt her stomach revolt. Her head buzzed with static and she was only vaguely aware as he tipped her to the side, strong hands making sure she didn't fall. Someone else moved her hair out of the way and held her head, but all she could do was make horrid noises as she dry heaved.

She'd killed Nate. She'd taken a life.

Feeling gradually returned to her limbs. Oliver was whispering comforting words into her ear as he held her and she focused on his voice as she tried to calm her ragged breath. When she felt like she could she lifted her head some to see Quentin Lance kneeling before her.

He had a sad smile on his face and looked more haggard than usual.

"Det...Detective?" she stammered out, not fully understanding at the moment how he was there,

He reached out to adjust the blanket that lay over her legs before he spoke, "Hey sweetheart, glad we got you back."

The words were simple, but she understood what he was saying. There was a look of understanding in his eyes, one that told her he wasn't sorry she was the one that had made it out of that motel room alive, and she shouldn't be either.

She couldn't deal with that just then. The guilt was trying to eat her up.

Her eyes flicked over his shoulder, down to the bandage on her arm, and then up to Oliver, "Where's Digg?" she asked, not even hiding her attempt to ignore what Lance had said.

"He's talking to the agents that who've been working the case. But he fixed you up first," Oliver told her

"Speaking of agents…" Lance began slowly and she felt her heart plummet, "I know you might not feel up to it, but you're going to need to give a statement."

She felt the blood drain from her face at the thought of having to tell anyone what had happened. Oliver went rigid beneath her, rumbling vibrations from his chest announcing his displeasure. She knew how upset he had to be and she wanted to be able to ease his worry, to assure him everything was fine, but she knew it wasn't. She wasn't fine. She didn't want to have to talk about what happen. To have to relive the worst experience of her life.

Lance was talking again but she couldn't understand anything, only hear the shifting tones of the words.

Her body shook, much like it had when she was still trapped on that bed. "Do I have to?" she almost didn't recognize the pitiful voice as her own. A great rush of air left Oliver's lungs and she felt him slip a hand into her hair, gathering her towards him.

For a brief moment the world was shut out. All she knew was the smell of leather, and safety as she pressed her face into his neck. She could feel the pressure of his fingers as they pressed into her scalp, and could feel his breath as he murmured into her ear, but the blood was rushing too hard for her to hear anything until a high pitched siren broke through.

She winced and turned into him further, the sound muffled when he covered her ear with his hand.

If she hadn't felt every muscle in Oliver's body go as rigid as steel she wouldn't have looked up, but she'd been with him too long not to trust his reactions.

She turned her head to the left and saw people everywhere, and three of them were heading right towards her.

If she had been more aware she would have recognized the three men as paramedics. She would have registered the ambulance in the background, and the men in uniform, and the dark blue bullet proof vests with F.B.I across the back. But all she saw were strangers, and a threat. Some sort of noise broke through her panic and she realized it came from her own throat.

Then Digg was there and he and Oliver were using tones they only used when they hunted down bad guys.

"Give her some space and let me brief you," Digg said sharply, but there was still a dark shape coming towards her until he slapped out a palm and physically stopped him, "Hey, man, you need to listen!"

It was too much. Too many voices. Too many people. She just wanted Oliver. She wanted it to be quiet, in her head more than anywhere, but she mostly wanted quiet and to know he was with her. She wrapped her good hand in his jacket and used it to pull herself closer into him, tucking her head under his chin and concentrating on the beat of his heart.

"I just want to go home. I want it all to be over,"

She hadn't realized she'd said it out loud until she heard his strained voice, "It's almost over. I promise."

Her body relaxed some and she sank into him even further as she tried to push the panic away and focus on what she'd seen instead. Ambulance. Men with red crosses on their jackets and med kits in their hand. The F.B.I. and the sheriff. Lance, and Digg, and Oliver. All the people she'd wanted and needed for days were finally there. But she couldn't help but think it was all too late.

Digg's calm voice broke her from the rapid downward spiral of her thoughts.

"Hey, they have to look you over, okay. They're not going to touch your arm, and they're not going to take you to the hospital." he paused and she knew he wanted to see her.

Slowly and with bursts of pain shooting up and down her arm she turned back towards him, seeing him at eye level with her. For a second he let his mask slip and she saw how tired he was, and how worried he'd been. His gaze flashed to Oliver before he scrubbed a hand over his face and looked back at her. "But you're going to have to go lay on the stretcher, okay?"

A rough noise of protest came from her chest and Oliver was suddenly on his feet like he wanted to bolt, and he had every intention of taking her with him.

Her eyes shut tight as she tried to quell the terror she'd felt at being separated from Oliver.

"Oliver, we don't have a choice. Let them check her out and get it over with. She could probably use some fluids which we don't have with us." Digg said under his breath, but she heard every word.

Lance was the next to speak, "Sorry, they need at least a basic statement today." Oliver was fairly trembling with ill suppressed rage. She knew he felt responsible. She knew he'd been killing himself with guilt since the moment he'd known she was missing. He was barely hanging on by a thread, much like herself. But if they both fell apart she didn't know what would happen.

"Let's get it over with," Digg cajoled, and she caught what was unsaid. The sooner this is taken care of the sooner they could leave.

Like a switch had been flipped she swallowed heavily and shut her eyes tight while she shoved away every bad thought, every feeling of panic that made her want to flee. She was analytical, she was logical. She could tell them what they needed to know as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

When Oliver looked down at her she saw his brows draw together in surprised confusion. "I can do it," she told him,

The wave of sadness that crossed his face made her heart clench, "You shouldn't have to."

For some reason those words broke through and she was unable to stop the high, barking laugh of disdain that came out. "Shouldn't have to do a lot of things. Don't have a choice," she said resignedly as she tried to ignore the memories that tried to assault her. Memories of doing too many things she shouldn't had to do.

It was the forlorn, almost broken expression on Oliver's face that tore her from her own misery. He was looking right through her, lost in his own hell and it wasn't until she brushed her fingers across his too long stubble and whispered his name that he came back to her.

For a split second she saw all the pain he'd been trying to hide from her before he curled over her, burying his face in her neck. "I missed you," he murmured throatily,

Tears pricking her eyes she turned into him until her lips made contact with his skin, "I missed you," She'd do this. If not for herself then for him, because they both needed this to be over. "I can do this,"

He pulled back with a gasp and before she could blink he'd kissed her. It was quick and too hard, and over too soon, but her lips burned and a rush of warmth filled her. She watched as he rapidly blinked reddened eyes before he lifted his head and and looked at Lance and then to another man who had joined them who she had to assume was the agent in charge.

"She gets upset at all and this is over." he ordered, voice harder than she'd ever heard it before.

There were nods of agreement and then Digg was leading them to the ambulance.

Oliver stalked in his wake, and easily climbed in the back with her in his arms. He hesitated before he laid her on the empty stretcher, his lips brushing her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere," and then he was lowering her, his hand slipping out from underneath her legs first before he cupped the back of her neck and gently laid her flat.

Her hand flashed out and caught his, holding on tight as she felt her chest constrict and her breathing grew shallow.

He smoothed a warm palm over her head, "You're safe, I'm right here."

She gave him a tight lipped nod, and gripped him tighter.

"Sir, you'll need to step out while we-"

The paramedic who had climbed in behind them didn't get to finish as Oliver locked a glare worthy of the Arrow on him. "I'm not leaving."

"Please, I want him to stay," she said in the strongest voice she could muster.

The medic sighed, and she took his agreement to the arrangement by the way he started to gather his equipment.

Oliver's focus was back on her, and at first she barely noticed as her pulse and oxygen levels were checked. It was when the medic moved to her other side and began to feel around her skull that she was struck with a memory of Nate touching her hair and she startled badly.

She jerked towards Oliver, who was already shooting out a hand to stop the medic from continuing. "Please...please don't touch my hair. He...he touched my hair...I can't."

Oliver looked like he'd be more than happy to put an arrow in the man, who was frozen in place. But he gave her a sympathetic smile and backed off.

After that he announced everything he was going to do and made sure she was okay with it first. When he wanted to start an I.V to give her fluids she balked. It took Oliver leaning over and talking to her quietly. Telling her they were almost through, and that he had the plane waiting to take them back to Starling.

That had caught her attention. While the medic readied her hand Oliver began to tell her how they had thought to look for her in Ashford.

"Mostly blind luck," he said with a shake of his head. "There hadn't been a real lead for days. The profiler was convinced you'd been taken back east, and that's where the F.B.I was focusing most of their efforts. Digg and I had been pouring over every bit of evidence we had when a call came in from Lance. He said they had received an anonymous tip that Samuels had been spotted in a town about three hours from here and he was going to ride along." Oliver's thumb constantly moved over the back of her hand as the medic inserted the port and began to hook up the bag of fluids.

Her eyes had shut when the needle had gone in and she swallowed down bile as she remembered Nate repeatedly drugging her.

Feeling shaky and lightheaded she forced herself to look at Oliver, "It was obviously a bad lead. And it doesn't explain how you knew to come here."

"Digg was looking at a map of the surrounding area, just happened to see the name of the town and remembered he'd seen the same name on the diner menu from the backpack in the plaza. We decided to come on a whim and check it out. Honestly I think Digg was just trying to get me out in an attempt to clear my head a bit." Oliver bowed his head and she saw a dark cloud of guilt fill his eyes,

"What?" she wriggled her fingers from his grasp and laid her hand on the back of his neck, gently pulling her nails through the short hairs.

"We're six hours from Starling. We shouldn't have driven. We could have been here faster and…"

"Hey, you had no reason to think I was here, you said so yourself. Don't take on blame that's not yours." she said softly. They couldn't do this now. She couldn't have a breakdown in the back of an ambulance.

He was quiet for a long time, and neither of them noticed when the medic slipped away.

She was about to tell him to go get the agent when the man stepped inside, ducking until he could sit on the low bench.

"Ms. Smoak, I'm Agent Jackson and I'm in charge of the task force based out of Starling City."

She nodded in reply and could feel her heart rate begin to rise.

"Mr. Queen I'm going to need you to step out while I take Ms. Smoak's statement."

The tension in the small space rose quickly as Oliver shook his head and said 'No'.

"Mr. Queen…" Jackson began again but Oliver just leveled him with a glare, which Jackson decided to ignore. "I understand this is difficult, but I am already compromising by conducting the interview here instead of insisting that Ms. Smoak be taken to the nearest field office and debriefed immediately, which is typically how things would go in a situation like this."

"I would like to see you try,"

Agent Jackson's eyes flashed, he was clearly not used to be challenged, "Sir, I will get the statement one way or the other."

Oliver fingers tightened almost painfully over hers and she could feel the anger running off him in waves. "You can threaten to have her transported. But if you do that I'd like to remind you that I have the Defense Secretary's private number, and Queen Consolidated's Applied Sciences division holds quite a few defense contracts. It would be unfortunate if those contracts were terminated and the research lost because certain members of the government couldn't conduct themselves satisfactorily."

Her head turned to look at Oliver in shock. She'd heard him threaten people as Arrow numerous times, but never had she seen him do the same as Oliver Queen, CEO.

Jackson looked away, his jaw tightening as he considered Oliver's words, "Mr. Queen, I do not wish to cause Ms. Smoak any further stress. But I also cannot allow you to be present when she gives her statement."

"Oliver, it's okay. I'll be fine." she said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation as much as she could. She'd seen Oliver on edge before, but nothing like this.

He tore his gaze from the agent and whipped his head to look at her, "Felicity…"

She tried not to let the hurt in his expression phase her. She knew he just wanted to protect her and keep her safe, and she knew he thought he'd already failed at that and was doing everything in his power to fix it now, but it still stung to see the slight betrayal in his eyes.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath when she was unable to hide her reaction, "No, I...I just need you..." he cut himself off and shut his eyes tight for a moment, "Are you sure?"

"I just want it over with."

"Okay," he agreed, "I'll be right out there if you need me." he said forcefully before he brushed his lips over her cheek and was gone.

Agent Jackson waited until Oliver had cleared the end of the ambulance and moved closer. She let out a long controlled breath through pursed lips. She could do this.

"I'm sorry to have to do this now Ms. Smoak."

"It's okay, I understand. But he...he kept me drugged, I don't know if I'll be able to tell you everything you want."

"Don't worry about that right now. Why don't you start at the beginning with what you do remember."

There was something about him that reminded her a little bit of Lance and she felt herself relaxing slightly.

Slowly and haltingly she began to talk. She told him about being drugged for days, only being allowed to come out of the sedative long enough to eat. She told him about how Nate didn't talk to her until the day before when he told her about his plan. Tears slipped down her face when she recounted being forced to dress like Jenny, and how she found out he'd killed Monroe. By the time she got to the confrontation after the diner she was barely speaking above a whisper, having to restart her sentence three times before she could tell his plan to kill her and himself in an attempt to end it all.

"He was going to kill me. He had the knife and I had one hand cuffed to the bed...I grabbed the gun and fired."

"It was self defense, Ms. Smoak. You did everything you could."

"That may be but the end is still the same, I killed my cousin."

He nodded gravely, "Is there anything else you can tell me about the week you were missing? Anything that might give us some insight into his thought process?"

Felicity blinked in confusion, "Week? I'm sorry?"

He didn't seem to understand what she was asking, "Yes, the week you've been held captive. Is there anything else you remember?"

"No…you've got it wrong. He had me only three or four days. I re…" her hand covered her mouth as her stomach dropped,

Jackson leaned in, concern creasing his brow but she barely saw him. "Ms. Smoak, you've been missing for over a week. The kidnapping occurred last Saturday, it's now the following Sunday."

Immediately she was overwhelmed by terror. Images of what Nate could have done to her in those days where she was hardly conscious ripped through her head one after another until she felt like she was drowning. He'd touched her, he'd dyed her hair. She knew he'd changed her clothes, but what if it had been more than once. What if it had been more than that?

There was a sharp pain in her hand and then pressure before Oliver's hoarse, frightened voice finally broke through to her. "Felicity! You're safe! You're okay!" he shouted, hands cupping her face,

"A week?" she gasped out between sobs, "A week? Oliver...I didn't….I didn't know! I didn't know!" she collapsed against him, clutching at his jacket, "I didn't know it had been that long. What did he do to me? I can't remember! What did he do?"

She was lifted from the stretcher and she was only somewhat aware of Oliver's short, stilted movements to get her out of the ambulance as quick as possible.

"We're leaving. Now." he ground out,

Her chest was tight and tiny white sparks shot across the back of her eyelids as she tried to draw a full breath and failed.

She was set on something cool and then Oliver was leaning over her, his hands gripping her shoulder and her neck, "Felicity! Breathe! You're having a panic attack. Open your eyes and look at me."

It took more effort than it should have but she got her eyes open, and she could see they were in the car. She was slumped in the backseat with Oliver above her, eyes wild and frightened and Digg turned to face them from the front.

"Listen to my voice, and concentrate on your breaths."

He was trying to keep his tone even and calm, but she could hear the cracks and the tremors that betrayed him.

Slowly she was able to control her ragged breaths and the high panicky feeling she had began to dissipate.

She began to speak but Oliver stopped her by laying a finger across her lips, "Don't, don't talk about it right now."

With a sigh she let her head fall back as she leaned into his arm.

"Let's go, Digg." he said tightly, and gathered her back to him,

Small tremors periodically made her body shake head to toe and each time Oliver would hold her tighter and whisper to her that she was safe, and she could sleep.

By the time they passed the diner, her eyes were half lidded and heavy. By the time they arrived at the airstrip she felt the car stop and the sounds of doors being opened and shut. And by the time the plane took off for Starling she and Oliver were both asleep.


End file.
